As some of the big names in the Indian Premier League (IPL) horizon go under the hammer after a long time, the likes of Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and R. Ashwin will steal the limelight over the next two days during the player auction.
But for the first time, the uncapped domestic cricketers are likely to be chased as desperately as the international stars by all the eight franchises.
In fact, so sought-after are some of the top domestic players that in all likelihood the next two days will witness the highest price tag for an uncapped player in the history of the IPL, eclipsing the sum of ₹8.5 crore paid by Delhi Daredevils for Pawan Negi in 2016.
Ever since the domestic uncapped players were included in the auction pool, multiple players have earned bids much higher than many regulars on the international circuit.
And the Baroda all-rounder duo of Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda will be on the wish-list of virtually all the teams.
Higher purse
Hooda, who was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹4.2 crore after Rajasthan Royals was suspended, recently had a feel of the India dressing room during the T20 series against Sri Lanka last month but did not get a game, while Krunal, the older brother of Hardik, will surely fetch a sum much higher than his last auction purse of ₹2 crore.
Despite Mumbai Indians having an option to exercise the ‘Right to Match’ option for the all-rounder, Krunal could go for a sum closer to his younger brother’s retention amount of ₹11 crore. The same is the case with Hooda, who is one of the biggest hitters in domestic cricket.
Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar will also not be too far in the list as the middle-order batsman and medium-pacer is on the radar of multiple teams.
Young guns
Besides, fast bowlers Basil Thampi and Aniket Choudhary are also expected to add a few zeroes to their worth come Sunday. Also, a plethora of India’s current under-19 squad may join the list. Batsmen Prithvi Shaw, Himanshu Rana and Shubman Gill are set to pocket eight-figure contracts along with all-rounder Kamlesh Nagarkoti and pace bowlers Shivam Mavi and Aditya Thakare.
One of the main reasons for the domestic uncapped players being in demand is the fact that at least three teams are set to undergo a virtual overhaul of their squads.
Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab have indicated their decision to form a new team while Delhi Daredevils is expected to continue with its recent tradition of a makeover to the squad every season.
It could result in the domestic uncapped players — along with Australia batsman D’Arcy Short and England all-rounder Jofra Archer, who has earlier featured in an Under-19 World Cup for the West Indies — becoming household names over the weekend.