IPL Auction 2024

IPL Auction 2024: Top 10 misses from each team in IPL auction

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not just a cricket league; it’s a spectacle that captivates cricket fans worldwide. The IPL 2024 Auction recently concluded, leaving cricket fans buzzing with excitement and intrigue. As the next season of IPL is approaching, franchises are now gearing up with their freshly acquired players for another exciting season. 

Auctions are inherently thrilling, and the IPL 2024 Auction was no exception. Fans are eagerly waiting to see if their favourite teams would secure the marquee players they wanted. The auction day was marked with suspense, drama, and occasional gasps as bids unfolded. 

From surprise steals to some astronomical bids, the auction day had its share of drama. In this piece, we examine certain blunders and bad calls made by the franchises during the auction proceedings:

1. Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings did well at the IPL auction! They bought some great players: Daryl Mitchell for a lot of money, a young spinner named Rachin for super cheap, and a talented death bowler named Mustafizur. 

But the big question was who would replace Ambati Rayudu? Everyone thought they’d pick an experienced player like Manish Pandey or Karun Nair. Instead, they surprised everyone by spending millions on Sameer Rizvi, a young guy who played well in another league. Will he be good enough to fill Rayudu’s shoes that we’ll have to wait and watch?

2. Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians had a nearly perfect auction. They bought a bunch of great players with the limited money they had like fast bowler Gerald Coetzee for 5 crores and some Sri Lankan bowlers. They even got Mohammad Nabi and Shreyas Gopal. They followed their plan perfectly. But, there was one thing they forgot which is a good finger spinner from India or another country. They only have wrist spinners now and one mystery spinner. They even let go of one they had before in the form of Hrithik Shokeen, so their bowling options look a bit unbalanced in terms of spinners.

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore

RCB always used to have fast-bowling woes, but this year they went shopping spree for fast-bowling superstars. They bought Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Lockie Ferguson, and Tom Curran to join their existing fast guys like Siraj and Topley. It’s going to be a speed festival at RCB.

There’s one problem that can be cited. They didn’t buy a special spin bowler to replace Hasaranga, the amazing spinner they used to have. They still have some spinners like Karn Sharma, but none of them are of the same quality as Hasaranga.

4. Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans went into the auction with a huge bank. They spent 10 crores on a young Aussie Spencer Johnson and grabbed Umesh Yadav and Kartik Tyagi to make their fast bowling super strong. They found a cheap replacement for Hardik Pandya in Azmatullah Omarzai and even got a big hitter in Shahrukh Khan.

One limitation that we can cite is that they only have two wicketkeepers, Saha and Wade. It would’ve been nice to get another Indian, one as a backup to play for a balanced team especially if they want to play Kane Williamson.

5. Lucknow Super Giants

Before the IPL auction, Lucknow Super Giants were already halfway there. They got Devdutt Padikkal from another team to make their batting even better. They also bought some great fast bowlers like Shivam Mavi and David Willey, but, they didn’t get any more experienced Indian bowlers. 

Now, their bowling seems to rely too much on Mark Wood and Mohsin Khan. Having another Indian bowler with Mavi would’ve been better as a strong bowling side can help win the tournaments and it’s always better to have more options on the bowling front in a hard-fought tournament like the IPL.

6. Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings went shopping at the IPL auction. They spent big bucks on Harshal Patel (11.75 crores), Rilee Russouw, and Chris Woakes. Now, captain Shikhar Dhawan has a tricky puzzle to solve: too many awesome foreign players wanting the same spots in the team. 

They also need to find a new “finisher” to bat at the end, since they let Shahrukh Khan go he could have either gone for experienced Indian batters or some young exciting Indian talent to have a better balance in their team.

7. Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR broke the bank for Mitchell Starc, spending a whopping 24.75 crores. He’s now the most expensive player in IPL history, but that doesn’t mean everything went perfectly for KKR. Here’s the thing: their batting is kinda wobbly. 

They’re counting on Rahmanullah Gurbaz to smash runs at the start, but their Indian bowlers are new and haven’t played much in the IPL. KKR also needs someone to finish games strong, but the guys they bought for that, Sherfane Rutherford and Ramandeep Singh, are like rookies under pressure. Also apart from Starc, the pace batter of KKR seems inexperienced which could leave too much for Starc.

8. Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH spent big bucks on superstars like Pat Cummins (20.5 crores) and got Hasaranga at his base price of 1.5 crore. They even grabbed Travis Head for less than 10 crores to open the batting.

Well, some folks think spending so much on Cummins is a bit crazy. But here’s the thing: he might be their new captain. They had Aiden Markram last year, but Cummins just won the World Cup with Australia, so he could lead SRH as well but they have too many foreign players which could give them a headache while playing their best playing XI.

9. Delhi Capitals

The Delhi Capitals has a plethora of wicketkeepers, likely to provide support for Rishabh Pant, who is gearing up for a return in IPL 2024. They secured the services of Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, and Kumar Kushagra as backup wicketkeepers.

Despite these additions, the team’s fragile batting lineup, heavily dependent on Mitchell Marsh and David Warner, remains a concern. Prithvi Shaw is grappling with both fitness and form issues, while the middle order is in dire need of seasoned players. Additionally, there is a noticeable absence of backup openers in case Shaw’s performance falls short of expectations.

10. Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals allocated nearly 90% of their budget to secure Rovman Powell and Shubham Dubey as their initial purchases. This strategic move left them with minimal resources to address shortcomings in their squad. The most glaring gap in their team composition is the absence of a proficient all-rounder, aside from Riyan Parag.

The team sought a capable all-rounder, be it foreign or Indian, to fill this crucial role, but financial constraints hindered their efforts. With a squad size of 22, Rajasthan Royals have the smallest roster among the 10 participating teams.