IPL Auction 2019: Team-wise analysis of likely strategies and potential buys

A total of 346 players will go under the hammer at the IPL 2019 Auction on December 18 in Jaipur.

Most of the franchises have decided to persist with their core, so a maximum of 70 players can be acquired in arguably the most low-profile IPL Auction ever with many international stars set to be unavailable for either part of or the entire season due to the ICC World Cup scheduled to commence a week after the conclusion of the league.

Another variable which could contribute to squad composition is the lack of clarity over where the tournament will be held with 2019 being an Election year in India; South Africa and the UAE have emerged as likely alternative venues and the franchises will have to ensure adequate depth in their squad to adapt to different conditions.

A combination of these factors will lead to a surge in the value of domestic Indian players along with an increased demand for utility overseas cricketers who would not have otherwise managed to earn an IPL contract if the franchises weren't concerned about the availability of their match-winners from Australia, England and South Africa.

Let us look at each of the eight franchises and their potential acquisitions at the auction:

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Chennai Super Kings

Despite possessing a complete squad already, the defending champions have enough balance in their purse to pick another marquee Indian player

Retained: MS Dhoni [c], Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis*, Murali Vijay, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Billings*, Mitchell Santner*, David Willey*, Dwayne Bravo*, Shane Watson*, Lungi Ngidi*, Imran Tahir*, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Karn Sharma, Dhruv Shorey, N Jagadeesan, Shardul Thakur, Monu Kumar, Chaitanya Bishnoi

Released: Mark Wood, Kanishk Seth, Kshitiz Sharma

Available Auction Purse: INR 8.40 crore

Available Slots: 2 (Indian 2; Overseas 0)

Auction Strategy:

Sit back and relax. Their squad is virtually complete having retained 23 players from their victorious 2018 campaign. But given that they still have a decent purse remaining, CSK could prove to be party spoilers for other franchises. Shardul Thakur was inconsistent last season and the Super Kings would be keen to add another experienced Indian seamer if possible.

Potential Acquisitions: Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishant Sharma.

Delhi Capitals

Retained: Shreyas Iyer [c], Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Jayant Yadav, Manjot Kalra, Colin Munro*, Chris Morris*, Kagiso Rabada*, Sandeep Lamichhane*, Trent Boult*

Traded In: Shikhar Dhawan (from SRH)

Released: Gautam Gambhir, Jason Roy, Junior Dala, Liam Plunkett, Mohammed Shami, Sayan Ghosh, Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Naman Ojha

Traded Out: Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem and Abhishek Sharma (to SRH)

Available Auction Purse: INR 25.50 crore

Available Slots: 10 (Indian 7; Overseas 3)

Auction Strategy:

Not sure about happiness, but money definitely cannot buy luck. The Delhi franchise have taken star-studded lineups into almost every IPL edition, only to return with frustration and disappointment. Now, they have "dared" to rechristen themselves as the "Capitals" as their owners are truly desperate to reverse their fortunes.

Despite letting go of some big names, Delhi's core bears a formidable look with four high-profile Indian batsmen, three world-class international fast bowlers and three quality spinners as well.

The acquisition of Shikhar Dhawan from SRH has only enhanced their strength at the top of the order to set up an intimidating top 4 including Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer.

With the likes of Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris in their ranks alongside Amit Mishra and Sandeep Lamichhane, their bowling is more than just sorted. All they need is personnel in the middle order to hold the batting lineup together and lend balance to the team. They would also look for backup options in the pace department.

Potential Acquisitions: Manoj Tiwary, Hanuma Vihari, Axar Patel, Jalaj Saxena, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dubey, Colin Ingram, Shimron Hetmyer, Lendl Simmons, JP Duminy, Mohit Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Hardus Viljoen, Laurie Evans.

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Kings XI Punjab

Can KXIP make the most of their superior purse?

Retained: Ravichandran Ashwin [c], KL Rahul, Chris Gayle*, Andrew Tye*, Mayank Agarwal, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman*, Karun Nair, David Miller*

Traded In: Mandeep Singh (from RCB)

Released: Aaron Finch, Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Barinder Sran, Ben Dwarshuis, Manoj Tiwary, Akshdeep Nath, Pardeep Sahu, Mayank Dagar and Manzoor Dar

Traded Out: Marcus Stoinis (to RCB)

Available Auction Purse: INR 36.20 crore

Available Slots: 15 (Indian 11; Overseas 4)

Auction Strategy:

Another year, another revamp. Kings XI go into the auction having the least number of players in their squad, 10, and have INR 36.20 crore at their disposal, the highest among all franchises. The only difference this year in comparison to recent seasons is that there is a semblance of a core in the retained players and certainty regarding the leadership of the team. Ravichandran Ashwin's captaincy was impressive and probably good enough to earn him another season at the helm.

The batting seems more or less sorted, maybe with room for another marquee overseas batsman given Chris Gayle's dodgy fitness and David Miller's inconsistent form. What they do need desperately is a world-class all-rounder and fast bowlers of whom at least one possesses genuine speed. Of course, they also need backup spinners and Indian batsmen.

Potential Acquisitions: Sam Curran, Shimron Hetmyer, Brendon McCullum, Wriddhiman Saha, Axar Patel, Harsh Tyagi, Shivam Dubey, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Shami, Anureet Singh, Oshane Thomas, Hardus Viljoen, Anmolpreet Singh, Gurkeerat Singh, Hazratullah Zazai, Fabian Allen.

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Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR are expected to bid aggressively for overseas reinforcements

Retained: Dinesh Karthik [c], Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn*, Andre Russell*, Sunil Narine*, Shubman Gill, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Released: Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Tom Curran, Cameron Delport, Ishank Jaggi, Vinay Kumar, Apoorv Wankhade, Javon Searles

Available Auction Purse: INR 15.20 crore

Available Slots: 12 (Indian 7; Overseas 5)

Auction Strategy:

Despite having only 13 players in their squad ahead of the auction, the Knight Riders have a strong first XI almost ready- all they need is an overseas fast bowler. The fragility of Chris Lynn and Andre Russell will prompt KKR to search for decent alternatives and given Robin Uthappa's patchy form, they would also look for dependable backup options in the middle order. The spin department looks settled, though they may want to add one to their reserves.

KKR have a history of scouting and nurturing talent from different parts of the world, and this year's auction dynamics present an ideal opportunity for them to make another Sunil Narine or Andre Russell out of someone.

Potential Acquisitions: Manoj Tiwary, Gurkeerat Singh, Ali Khan, Oshane Thomas, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, James Pattinson, Nicholas Pooran, Carlos Brathwaite, Fabian Allen, Khary Piere, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Porel, Varun Chakravarthy.

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Mumbai Indians

Retained: Rohit Sharma [c], Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar, Anukul Roy, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Evin Lewis*, Kieron Pollard*, Ben Cutting*, Mitchell McClenaghan*, Adam Milne*, Jason Behrendorff*.

Traded In: Quinton de Kock* (from RCB)

Released: Saurabh Tiwary, Pradeep Sangwan, Mohsin Khan, MD Nidheesh, Sharad Lumba, Tajinder Singh Dhillon, JP Duminy, Pat Cummins, Mustafizur Rahman, Akila Dananjaya.

Available Auction Purse: INR 11.15 crore

Available Slots: 7 (Indian 6; Overseas 1)

Auction Strategy:

Mumbai Indians have most bases covered. They should utilize their remaining overseas slot for either an international spinner or a tearaway quick. They would also want an experienced Indian seamer to support Jasprit Bumrah and allow flexibility in the playing XI. The addition of Quinton de Kock, traded in from RCB, will further boost an explosive batting lineup; the three-time champions just need to strengthen their reserves and they will be ready for IPL 2019.

Potential Acquisitions: Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Oshane Thomas, Khary Piere, Fawad Ahmed, Chris Green, Lockie Ferguson, James Pattinson, Chris Jordan, Armaan Jaffer, Shivam Dubey, Shams Mulani, Tushar Deshpande.

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Rajasthan Royals

Royals need to plan ahead for the early departure of their overseas stars

Retained: Ajinkya Rahane [c], Krishnappa Gowtham, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Gopal, Aryaman Birla, S. Midhun, Prashant Chopra, Stuart Binny, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes*, Steve Smith*, Jos Buttler*, Jofra Archer*, Ish Sodhi*, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mahipal Lomror.

Released: D'Arcy Short, Ben Laughlin, Heinrich Klaasen, Dane Paterson, Zahir Khan, Dushmantha Chameera, Jaydev Unadkat, Anureet Singh, Ankit Sharma, Jatin Saxena.

Available Auction Purse: INR 20.95 crore

Available Slots: 9 (Indian 6; Overseas 3)

Auction Strategy:

The Royals have bear a settled look, having retained 16 players from their 2018 squad. Their pool of overseas players, in particular, is enviable but susceptible to selection in World Cup squads. So, their main objective at the auction will be to gain adequate cover for the time when Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and potentially even Jofra Archer become unavailable in the second half of the season.

Having released Jaydev Unadkat, one can expect them to go after Indian seamers apart from some backups in the batting department.

Potential Acquisitions: Shimron Hetmyer, Lendl Simmons, Sam Curran, Hazratullah Zazai, Manoj Tiwary, Hanuma Vihari, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Aniket Choudhary, Joe Denly, Luke Wright, JP Duminy, Hardus Viljoen, Daniel Christian.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore

Will RCB finally succeed in their search for the perfect balance?

Retained: Virat Kohli [c], AB de Villiers*, Parthiv Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Nathan Coulter-Nile*, Moeen Ali*, Mohammed Siraj, Colin de Grandhomme*, Tim Southee*, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya

Traded In: Marcus Stoinis* (from KXIP)

Released: Brendon McCullum, Corey Anderson, Chris Woakes, Sarfaraz Khan

Traded Out: Mandeep Singh (to KXIP); Quinton de Kock (to MI)

Available Auction Purse: INR 18.15 crore

Available Slots: 10 (Indian 8; Overseas 2)

Auction Strategy:

At the conclusion of the 2018 auction, RCB's squad had a noticeable fall in the glamour quotient with an increased focus on the balance of the team. Unfortunately, it turned out to be yet another year where they were left ruing missed opportunities as they squandered winning positions and failed to deliver as a unit. Their strike bowler, Nathan Coulter-Nile being ruled out of the season did not help their case either.

Amidst the disappointment, the likes of Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali and Pawan Negi enjoyed a decent season last year and in Marcus Stoinis, they have acquired a world-class all-rounder from KXIP. Their focus would, therefore, be on recruiting dependable middle-order batsmen to support Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, a job Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan failed at. Having let go of Quinton de Kock, RCB are one team expected to go for an explosive wicketkeeper-batsman as well.

Potential Acquisitions: Shimron Hetmyer, Mohammad Shahzad, Andre Fletcher, Hanuma Vihari, Manoj Tiwary, Saurabh Tiwary, Gurkeerat Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Jalaj Saxena, Sam Curran, Colin Ingram, Varun Chakravarthy.

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Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH need a top-class wicketkeeper to replace Wriddhiman Saha

Retained: Kane Williamson* [c], Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey, T Natarajan, Ricky Bhui, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Shreevats Goswami, Khaleel Ahmed, Yusuf Pathan, Billy Stanlake*, David Warner*, Rashid Khan*, Mohammad Nabi*, Shakib Al Hasan*

Traded In: Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem and Abhishek Sharma (from Delhi Capitals)

Released: Sachin Baby, Tanmay Agarwal, Wriddhiman Saha, Chris Jordan, Carlos Brathwaite, Alex Hales, Bipul Sharma, Mehdi Hasan

Traded Out: Shikhar Dhawan (to Delhi Capitals)

Available Auction Purse: INR 9.70 crore

Available Slots: 5 (Indian 3; Overseas 2)

Auction Strategy:

The Orange Army are expected to be among the least active teams at the auction, having retained 20 players and bear a formidable look, boosted by the return of David Warner, as they would hope that their former captain's arrival offsets the departure of Shikhar Dhawan.

However, they released Wriddhiman Saha, leaving Shreevats Goswami as the only keeper in the squad ahead of the auction. SRH have world-class spinners like Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan in their ranks, so one expects a top-class wicket-keeper to be at the top of their wishlist. They would also want an overseas fast-bowling all-rounder, having released Carlos Brathwaite.

Potential Acquisitions: KS Bharath, Naman Ojha, Baba Indrajith, Daniel Christian, Luke Wright, Sam Curran, James Neesham, James Faulkner.

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