IPL 2019 auction: 351 players to go under the hammer
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 auction has started in Jaipur. All eight franchises will look to acquire the best talent to strengthen their squads and boost their chances. 70 slots are available across eight franchises. Teams have a total of 351 players to choose from. Here is more on the same.
Why is the event being held today?
Generally the IPL auction is held in January or February, but this season, it has been preponed to allow the franchises enough breathing space to prepare for the early kick-off of IPL 2019. The IPL 12 is likely to start on March 23, 2019.
Focus will be on Indian players
The live broadcast is being held on the Star Sports network. One can stream the auction live on Hotstar. Moreover, out of the 70 spots are available across eight franchises, 50 are for Indian players. Therefore, one should expect many domestic players to run the show today. The teams had submitted their final list of retained and released players in November.
All eyes on Yuvraj Singh in the auction
All eyes will be on senior cricketer Yuvraj Singh. Yuvi has a base price of Rs. 1 crore. He was released by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the auctions. Several fans want Yuvraj to be earn a deal for the teams they support. Other Indians dominating the headlines are Ishant Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Shami and Axar Patel.
How many slots are left for each side?
Chennai Super Kings have a settled side and can buy just two Indian players. Kolkata Knight Riders have gone for an overhaul. They can acquire seven Indian and five foreigners. Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab can buy 10 and 15 players respectively. Sunrisers Hyderabad have five slots available. Mumbai Indians (7), Rajasthan Royals (9) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (10) fill up the list.
What is expected in the auction?
With Australia and England players not being available for the entire season, the focus will be on cricketers from other nations. KXIP have the maximum budget to spend (Rs. 36.20 crore). Further, teams like CSK and SRH are expected to be quiet.
