IPL Auction 2023 is set to be held on 23rd December 2022. Here are the team combination and requirements of various IPL teams.
Rajasthan Royals
They reached the final last season and will want to add depth to their batting to go one better this time.
Current squad
Sanju Samson (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna, Trent Boult, Obed McCoy, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Kuldip Yadav, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, KC Cariappa
Only INR 13.2 crore to play with
They have a total of INR 13.2 crore (USD 1.6 million approx.) in their pocket, which is not great seeing that they have nine slots to fill. Four of those are possible overseas slots.
What they need
They need some strength in the middle order and possibly a batting all-rounder. They have excellent top order and great bowlers. Probably few backups would also help.
The likely targets
With 3rd lowest purse in the IPL auction 2023, it will be very difficult for them to get SAM Curran or Ben Stokes, who are excpected to fetch high price in this mi auction. They may go to Dasun Shanaka, Jason Holder or Sikandar Raza, who might, in fact, be a great fit at Royals.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
They had released just five players ahead of IPL auction 2023 and have only INR 8.75 crore to spend at the IPL auction 2023.
Current squad
Faf du Plessis (capt), Virat Kohli, Finn Allen, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anuj Rawat, Suyash Prabhudessai, Dinesh Karthik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, David Willey, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood, Siddarth Kaul, Akash Deep
Only INR 8.75 Crore to play with
Releasing only five players means they also have the second-lowest purse for the auction, of INR 8.75 crore (USD 1 million approx.). Only Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 7.05 crore) have a smaller purse. Royal Challengers can acquire seven more players, of which two can be from overseas.
What they need
Royal Challengers would be looking for an overseas seamer as a back-up for Josh Hazlewood. Also on their radar would be an Indian top-order batter. Royal Challengers may go after a couple of Indian seamers. Apart from that, they may try to acquire an Indian spinner to accompany, or work as a back-up for, Wanindu Hasaranga.
The likely targets
Adam Milne and Reece Topley are among their first-choice options for the back-up overseas seamer’s slot. Mayank Agarwal could be at the top of their wish list of Indian top-order batters. However, Royal Challengers’ small purse size may come in the way.
Among Indian seamers, Ishant Sharma, Vaibhav Arora, Ishan Porel, Shivam Mavi and Arzan Nagwaswalla are some of their options. For spinners, they have got Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande and M Ashwin to pick from.
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians need a replacement for Pollard, and back-ups for Bumrah and Archer. But do they have the money to pursue big names like Curran or Stokes? After releasing as many as 13 players last month, Mumbai would be eager to put together an all-round squad after not making the playoffs in the last two seasons. They have good options in top-order batters and finishers but need to pick up a few players to round off their bowling attack, in both the spin and pace departments.
Current squad
Rohit Sharma (capt), Tim David, Ramandeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar, Arshad Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal
They have INR 20.55 crore to play with
Mumbai can spend up to INR 20.55 crore (USD 2.4 million approx.) for a total of nine slots remaining in the squad, of which at most three can be overseas.
What they need
The biggest name Mumbai is going to be without this time is Kieron Pollard, and they also let go of a few fast bowlers and a couple of back-up spinners ahead of the auction. More than anything, they need a back-up quick for the injury-prone Jofra Archer and a fast-bowling allrounder. As Jasprit Bumrah bowls primarily at the death in the IPL, they may want to bring in another Indian quick in their line-up for the powerplay, a role Trent Boult played very well in 2020. They also haven’t had a big-name Indian spinner in their attack in recent years and could do with one, along with picking a second wicketkeeping option as back-up for Ishan Kishan.
What they need
For the fast-bowling allrounder’s slot, Mumbai could bag one of the big names like Ben Stokes, Cameron Green or Sam Curran to make up for Pollard’s absence.
They go for a spinner in Mayank Markande, M Ashwin (they released both recently), Shreyas Gopal and Amit Mishra.
One option for the back-up wicketkeeper’s slot is N Jagadeesan, who hit five straight one-day centuries recently, including a 277. Mohammed Azharuddeen is another T20 name, having smashed a 37-ball century against the domestic Mumbai side in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the 2020-21 season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ben Stokes, Adam Zampa and Adil Rashid likely to be on Sunrisers’ radar. They also need a wicketkeeper – will they try to target Jagadeesan and KS Bharat as well?
Sunrisers Hyderabad need an overhaul after a season where they were well-placed halfway in, only to run out of steam and finish eighth on the table. They need a new captain, having let Kane Williamson go. They made Nicholas Pooran the most expensive West Indian buy ever at the last IPL auction and let him go as well, meaning they have plenty to work with – and on – this time around.
Current squad
Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kartik Tyagi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik
They have INR 42.25 crore play with
They have the most money – INR 42.25 crore (USD 5 million approx.) – to spend at the auction. They have four vacancies for overseas players and a whopping 13 vacancies overall.
What they need
- A top-order batter who can also be captain (unless they are ready to gamble on Bhuvneshwar Kumar).
- A wicket-taking wristspinner.
- A pace-bowling allrounder.
- A wicketkeeper (They have Glenn Phillips but he is a reluctant gloveman)
The likely targets
Ben Stokes: Allrounder. Captaincy candidate, who is best used as a top-order batter and a powerplay and middle-overs bowler. Likely to draw bidding wars. They have the heftiest purse to buy him.
Nicholas Pooran: Chances are Sunrisers only put him on the auction table so they could snap him back up for a cheaper price. Best used as a top-order batter but can offer a point of difference lower down as well. First-choice wicketkeeping option as well. L
Prerak Mankad: Up-and-coming pace-bowling allrounder from Saurashtra. Won the domestic 50-over title this month. Likely to face competition from Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants.
N Jagadeesan: Wicketkeeper. Improved batter. Hit 277 in a 50-over game. Likely to face competition from Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans.
KS Bharat: Wicketkeeper. Useful anchor-type batter in case the innings starts badly. Likely to face competition from Knight Riders and Titans.
Sharukh Dar: Jammu & Kashmir quick following in Umran Malik’s footsteps. Has already had a stint as net bowler with Sunrisers.
Ottniel Baartman, who is part of Sunrisers’ team in the SA20, may get a look-in too. Yorker specialist with 44 T20s’ worth of experience. Averages 17.5. Economy rate 6.4.
They would probably like an established Indian middle-order hitter too but that lot tend to be retained and rarely end up back in auction. So maybe they’ll bid on overseas picks like Rilee Rossouw or Harry Brook? And, while they already have three other left-arm quicks, they also have the biggest purse, so they could well go for Sam Curran, who will more than likely pay off as a long-term investment.
Chennai Super Kings
They have also lost the experience of Robin Uthappa in the middle, and Mayank Agarwal could be the answer there.
Super Kings finished ninth in the ten-team tournament in 2022 but – true to reputation – have retained most of their players. Dwayne Bravo is the biggest name they let go of – he will be their bowling coach instead. They have retained their star allrounder Ravindra Jadeja despite rumours suggesting the marriage might be over. MS Dhoni, at 41, still remains captain but they will be keen to identify and groom someone to take over after the 2023 edition.
Current squad:
MS Dhoni (capt, wk), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana
They have INR 20.45 crore to play with
Super Kings have INR 20.45 crore (USD 2.4 million approx.) to spend at the auction. They have seven slots available, including two for overseas players.
What they need
Two Indian batters, of which one should ideally be a back-up wicketkeeper to Dhoni. It won’t be bad for them if they can get hold of a strong overseas quick as well as an Indian quick, because that department looks a little thin despite Mukesh Choudhary’s success last season.And while they are at it, why not an Indian wristspinner too?
The likely targets
Sam Curran isn’t new to Super Kings’ set-up, having worn the yellow jersey in 2020 and 2021 for 23 matches. With Dwayne Bravo not around anymore, Curran could be the overseas quick who can bowl at the death and also chip in with the bat lower down the order. He was picked by Super Kings for INR 5.5 crore in 2020.
Mayank Agarwal is another obvious target, like Curran. Though primarily a top-order batter, Agarwal dropped to the middle order last year to accommodate better strikers at the top. With Robin Uthappa, one of Super Kings’ main Indian middle-order batters last season, retiring Agarwal could be a great fit.
Josh Little made a big impact in the T20 World Cup in Australia this year, picking up 11 wickets in seven matches at a great economy of 7.00 for Ireland. That included a hat-trick [Kane Williamson, James Neesham and Mitchell Santner] against New Zealand.
Jaydev Unadkat could be a contender for a team that likes experienced hands, and Unadkat has worked with Dhoni and Stephen Fleming at Rising Pune Supergiants in IPL 2017. He had a memorable season then, claiming 24 wickets in 12 matches.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Not much money, many gaps to fill with Chandrakant Pandit as their new coach, Knight Riders could well make some out-of-the-box buys from the Indian domestic circuit.
Kolkata Knight Riders were very active ahead of retention day, letting go of a bunch of players, and trading in Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. They currently have a 14-man squad, with four pace and two spin options in the bowling department. They have reliable first-choice top-order batters too. But there are a lot of gaps to fill and not a lot of money in their pockets.
Current squad:
Shreyas Iyer (capt.), Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Tim Southee, Nitish Rana, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Umesh Yadav
Smallest purse of INR 7.05 crore to play with
Knight Riders have the smallest purse among the ten teams – INR 7.05 crore (USD 850,000 approx.) – and a maximum of 11 slots to fill, three of which could be overseas players.
What they need
An adaptable Indian opening batter to, possibly, partner Gurbaz, and either tee off or set the platform based on the team’s requirement. Venkatesh Iyer has been retained, but a back-up option would help.A death-bowling specialist, along with a back-up option given Andre Russell’s history with injuries and fluctuating form with the ball.An Indian batter who can also be a wicketkeeping option, a floater in the batting order, especially seeing that Sheldon Jackson and B Indrajith have been released and Sam Billings haw opted out.Back-ups for some of the first-choice players – finding options for all first XI picks might be tricky seeing their small purse.
The likely targets
Kusal Perera and Phil Salt are attacking options at the top of the batting order, who can fit into the role at, possibly, a low cost.
They might have an eye on N Jagadeesan and Mayank Agarwal, but both of them are likely to interest many other teams, and all of them have more money than Knight Riders.
David Wiese could join Russell to bolster both power-hitting and death-bowling departments.
Knight Riders might look at little-known, uncapped Indian players, partly because they don’t have a lot of money, and partly because their new coach, Chandrakant Pandit, knows everything there is to know about the Indian domestic circuit.
Gujarat Titans
Titans became only the second team after Rajasthan Royals to win the title in their first season. They topped the league stage, with ten wins from 14 games, then beat Royals in Qualifier 1 to make the final, where they again defeated Royals on their home ground, in front of 104,859 spectators.
Current squad
Alzarri Joseph (OP), Abhinav Manohar, David Miller (OP), Mohammed Shami, Darshan Nalkande, Noor Ahmad (OP), Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan (OP), Wriddhiman Saha, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Sai Sudharsan, Pradeep Sangwan, Praveen Dubey, Vijay Shankar, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tewatia, Matthew Wade (OP), Jayant Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Yash Dayal
Gujarat Titans looking for a fast bowler at auction, says head coach Nehra
Titans traded Lockie Ferguson to Kolkata Knight Riders last month
Only INR 19.25 crore to play with
They have a total of INR 19.25 crore in their pocket.
What they need
They need some strength in the middle order and possibly a batting all-rounder. They have excellent top order and great bowlers. Probably few backups would also help.
The likely targets
With 3rd lowest purse in the IPL auction 2023, it will be very difficult for them to get SAM Curran or Ben Stokes, who are excpected to fetch high price in this mi auction. They may go to Dasun Shanaka, Jason Holder or Sikandar Raza, who might, in fact, be a great fit at Royals.
Delhi Capitals
Current squad
Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dhull, Praveen Dubey,Sarfaraz Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh (OP), Mustafizur Rahman (OP), Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Lungi Ngidi (OP), Narayan Jagadeesan, Aman Khan, Anrich Nortje (OP), Vicky Ostwal, Rishabh Pant, Ripal Patel, Axar Patel, Rovman Powell (OP), Chetan Sakariya, Prithvi Shaw, David Warner (OP)
Only INR 19.45 crore to play with
They have a total of INR 19.45 crore in their pocket, which is not great seeing that they have nine slots to fill. Four of those are possible overseas slots.
What they need
They need some strength in the middle order and possibly a batting all-rounder. They have excellent top order and great bowlers. Probably few backups would also help.
The likely targets
With 3rd lowest purse in the IPL auction 2023, it will be very difficult for them to get SAM Curran or Ben Stokes, who are excpected to fetch high price in this mi auction. They may go to Dasun Shanaka, Jason Holder or Sikandar Raza, who might, in fact, be a great fit at Royals.
Punjab Kings
Current squad
Arshdeep Singh, Jonny Bairstow (OP), Baltej Singh, Raj Bawa, Rahul Chahar, Rishi Dhawan, Shikhar Dhawan, Nathan Ellis (OP), Harpreet Brar, Liam Livingstone (OP), Prabhsimran Singh, Kagiso Rabada (OP), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (OP), M Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma, Atharva Taide,
Second biggest purse of INR 32.2 crore to play with
They have a total of INR 32.2 crore in their pocket, which is second biggest purse in the IPL auction 2023.
What they need
They need to fill in lot of gaps.
The likely targets
With 3rd lowest purse in the IPL auction 2023, it will be very difficult for them to get SAM Curran or Ben Stokes, who are excpected to fetch high price in this mi auction. They may go to Dasun Shanaka, Jason Holder or Sikandar Raza, who might, in fact, be a great fit at Royals.
Lucknow Super Giants
Current squad
Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Quinton de Kock (OP), Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Kyle Mayers (OP), Mohsin Khan, Krunal Pandya, KL Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi, Karan Sharma, Marcus Stoinis(OP), Manan Vohra, Mark Wood (OP), Mayank Yadav
They have INR 23.35 crore to play with
They have a total of INR 23.35 crore in their pocket.
What they need
They need some strength in the middle order and possibly a batting all-rounder. They have excellent top order and great bowlers. Probably few backups would also help.
The likely targets
With 3rd lowest purse in the IPL auction 2023, it will be very difficult for them to get SAM Curran or Ben Stokes, who are excpected to fetch high price in this mi auction. They may go to Dasun Shanaka, Jason Holder or Sikandar Raza, who might, in fact, be a great fit at Royals.
