The IPL Player Auction 2011 has finally concluded after two days of frenetic bidding. There were some jaw-dropping bids, as also some steals, particularly in the concluding session. Most teams came away happy with the players that they had picked, believing that they had the necessary pieces to put together the jigsaw that would win them the much coveted Season 4 trophy. Here, then, is a scan of the cricketing DNA of each of the teams.
Chennai Super Kings:Although CSK have managed to put up a formidable side which includes most of their players from the previous seasons – MS Dhoni, Albie Morkel, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, Michael Hussey and R Ashwin – the one problem area might be the lack of solid Indian bowling resources. L Balaji and Manpreet Gony had proved to be invaluable to CSK and there will be immense pressure on Sudeep Tyagi and Joginder Sharma to contribute at a similar level. Yet, the presence of two quality all-rounders - Morkel and Dwayne Bravo - should help CSK get their balance right. Still a strong contender.
Deccan Chargers:The Chargers went in for a complete overhaul. And while they had some seriously good names to shore up their batting – Kevin Pietersen, Cameron White, Kumar Sangakkara, JP Duminy and Daniel Christian – one wonders how they are going to accommodate all these players with the overseas players’ restriction in the playing XI. So, besides Shikhar Dhawan, most of the uncapped players that they sign will have to be batsmen who might just freeze in the glare of the arc lights. The bowling, though, with the presence of Dale Steyn, Juan Theron, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha, looks better stacked.
Delhi Daredevils: Of the 16 players that they picked in the auction, just six were Indian. Yes, they had already retained Virender Sehwag prior to the auction proceedings, but the question remains - how will they accommodate the 10 foreign players in the playing XI? And besides Sehwag and David Warner, whom they bought in the auction, they lack a player who can win them a match on his own. The Indians they picked, mostly bowlers – Umesh Yadav, Ajit Agarkar, Ashok Dinda - either lack experience or are past their prime. One hopes that Irfan Pathan, Delhi’s most expensive buy at $1.9 million, comes good for the Daredevils the coming season.
Kings XI Punjab:Yet another squad that has undergone a complete makeover, Piyush Chawla being an exception. But having picked only four Indian players against seven foreigners in the auction, the Kings XI have their work cut out when it comes to signing uncapped Indian players. Their bowling department currently comprising of Chawla, Ryan Harris, Stuart Broad, Praveen Kumar and Nathan Rimmington appears a strike-bowler short. But the batting, with the destructive Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchirst, Shaun Marsh, Dinesh Karthik and Abhishek Nayyar, packs quite a punch.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Like after the inaugural IPL auction in 2008, one cannot help but feel optimistic about the Knight Riders after this auction. In Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Brett Lee and Jacques Kallis, they have four potential match winners, backed up by a solid supporting cast including Manoj Tiwary, L Balaji, Jaidev Unadkat and Brad Haddin. Also, in the likes of Ryan ten Doeschate and Shakib Al Hasan, they have two all-rounders who can bring a good balance to the side. With a little bit of luck and some good uncapped Indian player signings, the Knight Riders might just see their fortunes turn for the better in the coming editions of the IPL.
Mumbai Indians:Like CSK, Mumbai too exercised their right to retain four players - Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga and Kieron Pollard. And like CSK, they have, perhaps, emerged stronger after the auction. Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, David Jacobs will augment the batting strength of the side, while Munaf Patel comes in as a smart replacement for Zaheer Khan in the squad. James Franklin and Moises Henriques, bought at their base prices of USD 100,000 and USD 50,000 respectively, are value for money propositions for the all-rounders’ position.
Rajasthan Royals: Having retained Shane Warne and Shane Watson, the Royals made just six successful bidsat the auction. And while their overseas players - Ross Taylor, Paul Collingwood, Johan Botha and Shaun Tait - are proven T20 stars, the emphasis for the Royals now would be to get a good bunch of uncapped Indian players and hope that Shane Warne can turn them into potential match winners, à la IPL 2008.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: On the face of it, Royal Challengers Bangalore came away winners from the auction. Opposition teams will find Zaheer Khan, Dirk Nannes and Charl Langeveldt difficult to score off. And in Saurabh Tiwary, Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers and Jonathan Vandiar they have players to partner Virat Kohli (retained player) in the batting line-up. Yet, there must be a word of caution. In the past two editions, the Challengers did well because of the Indian talent in their side. Robin Uthappa, Anil Kumble, Praveen Kumar, R Vinay Kumar and Rahul Dravid chipped in substantially. The big question, then, whether Mohammed Kaif, Abhimanyu Mithun and Cheteshwar Pujara can be expected to do the same. With Jacques Kallis missing from the squad, RCB might just struggle to get their balance right.
Team Kochi:If there is one glaring feature about the 17 players that Kochi picked over the weekend, it is the absence of a star Indian batsman, who, like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh or Suresh Raina, can win them a T20 game all by himself. Still, with a number of Indian bowling picks which include the likes of RP Singh, S Sreesanth and R Vinay Kumar and the all-round ability of Ravindra Jadeja, Kochi can afford to pack their batting line-up with established foreign players like Mahela Jayawardene, Brad Hodge, Brendon McCullum and Owais Shah. And in the ageless Muttiah Muralitharan they have an outright match winner.
Team Pune:Like Delhi, Pune too fulfilled their quota of 10 overseas players. But having picked only four Indian names in the auction, they will be under pressure to sign the right uncapped Indian players so the team can do well in the IPL. Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Callum Ferguson and Jesse Ryder were their impressive batting picks, while in Jerome Taylor, Wayne Parnell and Ashish Nehra the bowling looks to be in capable hands. Angelo Mathews, Nathan McCullum and Alfonso Thomas were the all-rounders picked in the auction.
Akshay Manwani is part of the editorial team at BCCI.TV
