IPL Auction Highlights: A total of 333 players went under the hammer for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction.  A total of 72 players were sold in the mini-auction including 30 International Players in IPL. A total of Rs 230.45 crore was spent during the auction at the Coca-Cola arena in Dubai with Mallika Sagar as the auctioneer.

Here is a look at the IPL 2024 Auction analysis and the Team Strategies along with the Top 5 Players who rocked the IPL 2024 Auction Table

Presented By: Raghunath Nair

Introduction

As part of the next IPL season strategy, players are released by respective franchises, and new players are sought either during the trading window period or from the Mini Auction pool. IPL Bidding Wars depend on the team’s remaining budget and requirements.

Typically, Franchisees release 8-10 players including International Players from their old squad and an equivalent amount is released for them to be used either in the trading window period or in the mini auction.

IPL governing council approved an additional 5 crores to be added for all teams for the mini-auction.

The biggest talking point during the trading Window was the transfer of Gujarat Titans Hardik Pandya to the Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal. Due to budget limit constraints, Mumbai Indians released their big-ticket player of the previous season, Cameroon Green to the Royal Challengers Bangalore.  This was the biggest all-cash deal made in any IPL season during the trading window period.

Other Players who also got traded in this period are as follows

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Players traded out: Shahbaz Ahmed

Players traded in: Mayank Dagar

 Mumbai Indians:

Players traded in: Romario Shepherd

Rajasthan Royals:

Players traded out: Devdutt Padikkal

Players traded in: Avesh Khan

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Players traded out: Mayank Dagar

Players traded in: Shahbaz Ahmed

Lucknow Super Giants:

Players traded out: Romario Shepherd, Avesh Khan

Players traded in: Devdutt Padikkal

What Teams required and whom they will target – IPL Team Strategies

 Chennai Super Kings:

• Middle-order batter to replace veteran Ambati Rayudu and Ben Stokes
• Fast bowler

Gujarat Titans:

• All-rounders

Delhi Capitals:

• Wicket Keeper
• Spinner
• Pacer

Rajasthan Royals:

• Young Talents
• Batsman

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

• Fast Bowlers
• Indian Players

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

• Indian Talent
• Fast bowlers
• Captain for the future

Mumbai Indians:

• Spinner
• Fast Bowler

 Punjab Kings:

• Allrounders
• Batsman

Kolkata Knight Riders:

• Fast Bowlers
• Spinners

Lucknow Super Giants:

•  Fast Bowlers

The 2024 Auction – How it Works – IPL Bidding Wars

Post the release of players and post the transfers of players, a total of 333 players new and released ones were put up in the Mini Auction 2024 pool at the Coca-Cola arena in Dubai, with Mallika Sagar as the auctioneer.

For the mini- Auction, thanks to the Hardik Pandya transfer, last season’s runners-up, Gujarat Titans, had the highest purse of Rs 38.15 crore

While Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had the least amount of a mere Rs 13.15 crore.

This being a mini-auction, teams were allowed to only fill a maximum of eight (four Indians, four foreigners) players.

A maximum squad size of 25 players and a minimum of 18 players make up the squad.

IPL Auction Highlights

Top 5 Players Bid: Who Made a Mark: Domestic and International Players in IPL

Mitchell Starc – KKR – INR 24.75 

Kolkata Knight riders came into the Mini Auction desperately to fill in their bowling gaps as they released most of their players before the auction. They were unable to get back their player Pat Cummins who went for an IPL record figure. So, when Mitchell Starc name came up, IPL Bidding Wars continued but Kolkata Knight Riders was clear about getting the south paw at any cost.

Within few hours after Pat Cummins had broken the bank, Mitchell Starc was the next player to be bought for a mind boggling 24.75 crores.

The Aussie left-arm pacer is now the costliest ever player in the history of the league.

 Pat Cummins – SRH – INR 20.5 Crores

Sun Risers Hyderabad had to look for a captain to lead their side after Shikar Dhawan, so they came into the auction with a clear purpose. Pat Cummins, the Australian captain has been in dream form as a captain and player and have won all the ICC Trophy in 2023.

When Pat Cummins was bought for INR 20.5 Cr, he had become the costliest player in IPL history till the record was broken by his Australian new ball partner.

 Daryl Mitchell – CSK – INR 14 Crores

With a dream run in the ODI World Cup 2023. Daryl Mitchell was on every team’s “to buy” list.

CSK was in the hunt to get a player to fill in replacements for Ambati Rayadu and Ben Stokes in the team and Daryl Mitchell fitted the bill perfectly. Like Rayadu, Daryl can come early and also play the enforcer role in the team.

When the bidding war was on, CSK remained a spectator and jumped into action in the later half of the auction and bought the player at a record 14 Crores.

Harshal Patel – PK – INR 11.75 Crores

After the surprise release of Harshal Patel from the RCB Camp, an Indian international bowler would be a hot pick.

Punjab Kings broke the bank for the 33 year old and bought the player for INR 11.75 Crores

 Alzarri Joseph – RCB – INR 11.5 Crores

After releasing Harshal Patel, Royal Challengers Bangalore was desperate to fill in their bowling gaps. It was a surprise to see RCB spending half their budget and bought Alzarri Joseph for INR 11.5 Crores leaving many RCB fans questioning the move. It definitely was one of the many IPL Auction Surprises

IPL Auction Highlights (Contd)

Game-Changers:  The Million-Dollar Star: IPL Bidding Wars according to IPL Team Strategies

• Spencer Johnson was bought by Gujarat Titans for – Rs 10 Crore (Overseas Sensation)
• Sameer Rizvi was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 8.40 Crore (The Young Prodigy and a possible Emerging IPL Star)
• Rilee Rossouw was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 8 Crore
• Rovman Powell was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 7.40 Crore
• Shahrukh Khan was bought by Gujarat Titans for Rs 7.40 Crore
• Kumar Kushagra was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 7.2 Crore (The Young Prodigy a possible Emerging IPL Star)
• Travis Head was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 6.80 Crore
• Shivam Mavi was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 6.40 Crore
• Umesh Yadav was bought by Gujarat Titans for Rs 5.8 Crore
• Shubham Dubey was bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 5.80 crore
• Gerald Coetzee was bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 5 Crore
• Yash Dayal was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore – Rs 5 Crore
• Jhye Richardson was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 5 Crore
• Yash Dayal was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 5 Crore

IPL Auction Surprises

Uttar Pradesh’s Sameer Rizvi became the costliest uncapped player at the auction followed by Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra . Both players are possible Emerging IPL Stars but one of the many IPL Auction Surprises

Another IPL Auction Surprise was Australian left-arm quick Spencer Johnson, who was sold for a mind-boggling 10 crores.

Conclusion

Game-changing IPL Bids were made by all teams to build by a strong team.

A total of 72 players were handed a fresh Indian Premier League (IPL) contract on Tuesday in the IPL Bidding Wars, with the 10 teams splurging a combined amount of INR 230.45 crore at the mini-auction in Dubai.

IPL 2024 Auction Analysis showed that while selecting players, current form and the ODI World Cup performances played as a crucial factor.

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will go from this auction the happiest and proved why they are master-strategists and IPL Team Strategies were achieved

Royal Challengers, Punjab Kings and Sun Risers looked confused and had a poor auction.