10 Players to watch in the IPL auction and which sides might bid big for them

The IPL mini-auction is due to take place tomorrow on 19 December and despite the name we can expect to see a few cricketers become overnight millionaires or in the case of a quite a few others, add to their existing fortunes.

In total, the 10 IPL franchises will be looking to fill 77 places in their squads (30 of which are for overseas players) from a list of 333 cricketers who have put their name forward for consideration.

In a previous blog, I summarised how each franchise is shaping up after the off-season having released and traded players. Here are a list of players who are likely to attract the biggest bids and the teams who could be chasing their services.

Travis Head

Purveyor of one of the most awful looking techniques I've ever seen in a top order batsman but that hasn't stopped Head's star rising considerably over the last year, peaking with a century in the World Cup Final to break Indian hearts. That of course won't stop several of the IPL franchises bidding big money to acquire the Aussie's services.

The problem for Head or indeed any batsmen with aims of playing in the top 3 at an IPL franchise is that the competition for spots is fierce!

The most obvious candidates to chase Head would be Delhi Capitals who after all already have his Australian teammate's in David Warner and Mitch Marsh not to mention Ricky Ponting as the head coach. Having ditched a lot batsmen from their 2023 squad they certainly need reinforcements but one player who did stay is Prithvi Shaw and that might temper DC's interest if they see Head as an opener.

Other potential bidders could include Gujarat Titans as they look to rebuild their top order following the departure of Hardik or Sunrisers who could do with a left-hander to help balance what was a very right-hand dominant line-up.

Mitchell Starc

It seems strange to consider that the big-Aussie left-armer hasn't played in the IPL since 2015! He has put his name into the auction hat a couple of times since then but after being brought opted not to play. That pattern might put off a few teams from risking a big bid for a player that never materialises but Starc is doing his best to convince all that he will be there come March!

A return to RCB where he last played wouldn't be a massive surprise but whether the Challengers can get the deal over the line with their limited budget might depend on the interest of other parties who have deeper pockets.

KKR are another team that is likely to be involved in bidding for most of the big name seamers on offer while Mumbai Indians too are very much in the market for quicks. Again, MI may ultimately be gazumped by teams who have a bigger war chest.

Rachin Ravindra

Another player whose stock is very high following the recent World Cup and whose all-round abilities could make him attractive to pretty much every franchise out there!

It would be fair to say that Ravindra, while still relatively young at the age of 24, hasn't really found his way yet in T20 cricket with just a solitary half century in 45 innings including 16 innings in international T20 cricket. While his success in the 50 over game has come batting in the top 3, he has more often than not been used lower down the order by New Zealand in the shorter format. Again that kind of flexibility might appeal to franchises who can't gurantee a spot in the top order.

CSK with their New Zealand connections, love of all-rounders and flexible players might not be a bad destination for the young Kiwi to end up at although the squad is already stacked with similar players including Jadeja, Santner and Moeen Ali.

DC again might be interested from a batting point of view although they too have plenty of left arm spin options. GT increasinly opted to play 2 frontline overseas spinners last year but the need to find an all-rounder to replace Hardik Pandya might force them to reassess that and make Ravindra a realistic prospect.

The Rajasthan Royals certainly do need a left-handed batsmen and ideally a player in their top 6 who can offer them overs. With Chahal and Ashwin guaranteed starters, you'd have thought that they'd prefer a fast bowling all-rounder but those seem a little thin on the ground and the Royals regularly played Adam Zampa alongside their 2 domestic spinners suggesting they aren't adverse to going heavy on the slow bowling front.

Again SRH are likely to be in the mix for a left-handed batsman and as far as they are concerned, Ravindra would offer at least part of the solution to their ongoing spin bowling problems.

Darryl Mitchell

It's difficult to think of many, if any, batsmen who have improved so much across all formats of the game as Darryl Mitchell has these last 2 years. He does have a bit of IPL experience but primarily that involved carrying the drinks for Rajasthan whereas this year teams might be more inclined to look at him as a genuine middle order pick who can bowl a bit of medium pace if required.

Delhi Capitals certainly have the room in their squad to accommodate a player of Mitchell's talents. The player is known to the staff at Rajasthan but the Royals would ideally want a left-hander in their squad for this campaign.

CSK or Gujarat Titans might also test the water with bids for a batting all-rounder to replace the players they've recently lost.

Harry Brook

Brook's talent was clear for all too see last year when he smashed an IPL ton after just a handful of matches. On the flip side, his limitations against slower bowling were also quickly exposed.

Interested sides will have to consider whether firstly they can give him the opening role that he looks best suited to at this point in time and have him attack the fast bowlers while potentially pairing him with a player more adept at taking on the spinners. Alternatively, he could he be used in more of a finishing role. His incredible display of hitting against West Indies on Saturday where he smashed 41 from 7 balls was proof enough that he has both the talent and temperament to do so!

Rajasthan love an Englishman and having just released Joe Root they might fancy swapping one Yorkie for another although Brook is likely to require a much more aggressive and early bid to secure than Root did. Once again, Brook will undoubtedly be a player that is on the long list of considerations for DC to fill a batting role.

Pat Cummins

The jury is still out on Cummins' ability and role in T20. He doesn't really swing it up front, he could play the enforcer role in the middle overs but there's doubts over his ability at the back end of the innings.

However, his stock is certainly on the rise after captaining his nation to a 50-over World Cup win in India where his change ups did appear to have improved from the last time he was seen in the IPL in 2022. Recency bias suggests that franchises will focus on that World Cup success rather than the previous failings.

RCB will of course be in the market for a seamer but they just ditched one hit the deck style Aussie bowler in Josh Hazlewood who struggled in their home conditions. In fact, Mumbai and the pitch at the Wankhede might be more to Cummins suiting but of course he does have history with KKR too.

Wanindu Hasaranga

The number 3 bowler in ICC T20 rankings and number 7 in the all rounder stakes, Hasaranga is likely to be a sort after asset for sides who need a match winning spinner in their side.

He missed the first part of last season's IPL and he is struggling with a hamstring injury at the moment too but I doubt that will stop sides putting in some serious bids for a player ideally suited to this format of the game.

SRH were in for Hasaranga at last year's auction before RCB won the tussle and they would be the most obvious side to need the Sri Lankan's wicket taking abilities during the middle overs. However, PBKS were also very interested in him and it'd be fair to say that Hasaranga would be an upgrade on the likes Rahul Chahar who has struggled to take the number of wickets that any team would ideally like from their wrist spinner.

Gerald Coetzee

Announced himself on the international stage with an excellent World Cup performance for South Africa in Indian conditions but has also been playing well in the new SA20 League for Jo'Burg Super Kings, the franchise associated with CSK.

CSK certainly have the available funds and places in their squad to bring the South African in should they wish to and his excellence in the middle overs would certainly bring an added dimension to their seam bowling stocks.

There are of course other franchises with very strong links to South Africa, not least of all RCB whose captain Faf du Plessis knows Coetzee's strengths having also been a part of the Super Kings franchise back home. We know RCB are in desperate need of an almost entirely new bowling attack so it'd be very surprising if they weren't in the bidding for Coetzee who looks like an ideal replacement for Harshal Patel.

Shardul Thakur

Having looked exclusively at overseas talent that will be available in Tuesday's auction, it's worth following up with a couple of the India stars who will be up for grabs.

Since leaving CSK, 'Lord Thakur' has floated around at Delhi and KKR where he's struggled to make any substantial impact particularly with the ball. However, his batting has improved as demonstrated by a memorable 68 off 29 balls last season and given the right attack around him, his bowling could still be a very useful asset.

If nothing else, he can add balance to a side and he doesn't take up an overseas slot, something that could make him a very attractive proposition to almost all the franchises out there!

You wonder if CSK might fancy bringing him back in to help fill the Stokes role. After all they do love an all-rounder in Chennai! Alternatively, PBKS could be tempted to look at Thakur first and foremost as the finisher that their squad needs who just happens to offer a few useful overs too. While he's certainly not a straight replacement, GT are in the market for players who can fill a Hardik shaped hole in their squad.

Harshal Patel

2023 was a difficult season for the man who won the 2021 purple cap by taking 32 wickets. There's no doubt that Harshal fills the toughest role in T20 cricket by bowling almost exclusively in the 2nd half of innings and that with the new substitute rules that came into play from last year, it essentially lengthens each side's batting line-up by 1 and ensures that in most innings, sides have plenty of firepower with which to attack at the death.

That being said, there was an element of predictability in Harshal's bowling last year so potential buyers will be keen to understand what new variations he might have been working on in the off-season that could help in the ongoing arms race between him and some of the biggest hitters in world cricket.

DC and KKR both released a whole host of Indian quicks in the off-season and could both really do with strengthening their death overs options.

All stats used in this blog are from my own database which is freely accessible at T20 head to head. Images are my own with the exception of player profiles and background images which are used under a creative commons license or otherwise royalty free