The stage is set for IPL 2023 mini auction. The mini auction will start on December 23 at 2 pm at Kochi, Kerala. While a total of 991 players have registered for the mini auction, the franchises have shortlisted the names of 405 players. A maximum of 87 players will get a chance in this.
While 30 slots will be given to overseas players, Indian players will compete for another 57 slots. A total of 405 shortlisted players have been divided into 5 sets.
In the first set, there were batters, but in the second set, there were all-rounders. Wicket keepers were included in the third set. Fast bowlers were included in the fourth set and spinners were included in the fifth set. The mini auction will be auctioned set wise. But in this mini-auction, the all-rounders are likely to continue. The franchises are eyeing the batting all-rounders in the second set. The second set includes Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, Cameron Green, Shakib Al Hasan, Jason Holder, Sikander Raza, Odion Smith.
Sam Curran, Ben Stokes and Cameron Green in the second set are likely to command a huge price. While Sam Curran was the player of the tournament in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, Ben Stokes played a key role in England’s victory by remaining unbeaten with a half-century in the final against Pakistan. Stokes previously held the record for being the highest priced player in the IPL auction. In the 2017 season, Rising Pune Super giants bought Stokes for Rs.14.5 crores. Franchises are likely to compete for Sam Curran and Ben Stokes in this auction. Especially Sunrisers Hyderabad is ready to spend any number of crores for Stokes.
Coming to Cameron Green, this all-rounder, who came into the ring as an opener in the T20 series against India before the T20 World Cup, showed his strength with two brilliant half-centuries in the three-match series. Green, who scored 61 runs in 30 balls in the first T20, showed his strength with 52 runs in 21 balls in the third ODI. Shakib Al Hasan and Jason Holder, who played for Sunrisers in the past, can excel with the ball as well as with the bat. And when it comes to Sikander Raza… this Zimbabwean cricketer was selected as player of the match three times in the T20 World Cup.
He has been instrumental in Zimbabwe’s success in recent times. He has the ability to excel with the ball as well as with the bat. Even though the minimum price of Rs.50 lakh is being auctioned, he is likely to fetch a huge price. Caribbean power-hitting all-rounder Odion Smith was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 6 crore in the IPL 2022 auction.
In the three ODI series against India ahead of the IPL 2022 auction… in two matches he scored 60 runs at a strike rate of over 157 and took 3 wickets. But as he could not perform at that level in IPL… Punjab left him for auction. This time he paid Rs. He is coming to the auction with a base price of 50 lakhs.