With the IPL trading and retention window closed, the stage is now set for the upcoming 2020 season’s auction on 19 December in Kolkata.
Having decided on which players they required and which to let go of, the eight franchises now know how much money they have at their disposal at the auction.
A total of 127 cricketers, including 35 overseas players, were retained by the teams. While squads like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians stuck to their core teams and have freed up less than 15 crores, teams like Rajasthan Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore have purses that’ll allow them to make some big buys this auction.
Here’s a look at how much money each franchise have left now:
Kings XI Punjab: Rs 42.70 Crore
Kings XI Punjab were unfortunate to miss out on the IPL playoffs last year, finishing sixth because of a three-way tie between them, Delhi and Kolkata. Their weak run rate saw them finish lowest among the three.
There had to be repercussions following that and so, the team let go of their skipper Ravichandran Ashwin in a transfer to Delhi and also released David Miller.
KXIP will boast of the largest purse heading into the 2020 auction and will be spending it on 9 player spots including four overseas.
One of the reasons Punjab was able to get such a massive purse is because they released top bid-getting spinner Varun Chakravarthy to free up Rs 8.7 crore. Releasing David Miller and Sam Curran also helped them.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Rs 35.65 Crore
Kolkata Knight Riders are used to making big changes before the auction, and this is a strategy that has paid off and made them IPL champions before. This year, KKR will have the second largest purse and will be able to spend it on 11 players, four of them being overseas.
KKR also missed out on the playoffs in IPL 2019 but have last year’s MVP Andre Russell and Emerging Player Shubman Gill. They released the likes of Robin Uthappa and all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite to make space and now have a major rebuild ahead of them.
Rajasthan Royals: Rs 28.90 Crore
Rajasthan Royals finished with the lowest points total last season, but avoided being bottom place because of a better run rate than RCB. The inaugural champions have thus planned on changing their team, something they can achieve with Rs 28.90 crores in the purse. Eleven players needed with 4 overseas slots puts them in prime position for a rebuild.
Releasing paceman Jaydev Unadkat created the most space, while players like all-rounder Stuart Binny also saw themselves on the released list. They will be looking for some batsmen to bolster their attack alongside captain Steve Smith.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Rs 27.90 Crore
The most disappointing team last season had to be the Virat Kohli-led RCB. The franchise ended up finishing rock bottom, which saw them release 12 players and clear up Rs. 27.90 crore for the upcoming auction.
They released big names in paceman Dale Steyn, all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, and batsman Shimron Hetmyer. They will have the largest rebuild ahead, but having the fourth largest purse isn’t exactly ideal. They have retained Kohli and de Villiers, also keeping bowler Ben Stokes on the team.
Delhi Capitals: Rs 27.85 Crore
The Delhi Capitals were the cinderella story of the 2019 IPL season. A historically bad Delhi team changed their franchise name and brought on Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly as technical advisors and that changed the franchise for good. With Shreyas Iyer leading the team to a third place finish, Delhi will look to strengthen the squad in the auction with 27.85 crore of purse.
While they have traded Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin into the team, they had to part with the likes of Chris Morris and Colin Ingram. They will be looking to spend their money on 11 players (5 overseas).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Rs 17.00 Crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad made it to the playoffs last season, but were defeated by a Delhi team who caught everyone by surprise. Hyderabad seem the most content with their current squad, releasing the least amount of players. They will have 17 crores to spend on 7 slots including 2 overseas players.
Hyderabad had to release Shakib al Hasan after his ban by the ICC. Along with him, they parted ways with Martin Guptill, Deepak Hooda and Yusuf Pathan. They retained Orange Cap holder David Warner and he has a similar supporting cast with the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Kane Williamson still in the squad.
Chennai Super Kings: Rs 14.60 Crore
Chennai is a team that has historically gone into the auction short-handed because they try and bring back as many players as they can. This is a tale we are seeing again this year, as Chennai have the second lowest purse in the auction for 5 players (2 overseas).
Mohit Sharma, Sam Billings and David Willey are the only notable releases. Chennai will be heading into the 2020 season with their core players in captain MS Dhoni, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis.
Mumbai Indians: Rs 13.50 Crore
If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. That is the strategy Mumbai have taken to the upcoming auction, maintaining the core of the squad that won the 2019 IPL. They have to fill 7 roster spots with 2 being overseas players. Mumbai will be looking at the bargain bin to maximise their 13.50 crore, the lowest purse this auction.
Mumbai released the likes of Yuvraj Singh, but have retained Lasith Malinga despite fitness concerns. They have also traded for players like Trent Boult to strengthen their bowling attack.
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