IPL 2023 Mini Auction was held in Kochi on December 23rd. The mini-auction saw the franchise spend a total of 164.5 crores INR and sold a total of 80 players. A total of 991 players were initially registered for the auction. BCCI had to reduce the list to 405 and fill 87 spots from there.
Despite so much money being spent, many franchises still had a lot of money left over. Punjab had 12.25 crore left in its purse, while Rajasthan and SRH had 6.75 and 7.75 crore INR respectively.
The Punjab Kings bought Sam Curran for Rs 18.5 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history, while Ben Stokes and Cameron Green sold for 16.25 and 17.50 crores INR respectively.
KKR had Rs 7.05 crore remaining in their account, while SRH left with more than Rs 42 crore. Different franchises have emerged with different ideologies and intentions. PBKS and SRH were able to rebuild their rosters, while KKR, CSK, GT, and LSG were looking for reinforcements. Whatever happened at the auction table, everyone went home satisfied after a fierce bidding war.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the 5 mistakes made at the auction table that might cost them in the future.
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1) Not Buying Ideal Backups
This refers to Kolkata Knight Riders’ actions who didn’t buy an ideal backup. With the fewest balance remaining, KKR had to fill a major slot on the auction table. KKR need an offensive opener abroad and they let go of Chris Lynn, who has performed consistently well in the seasons, he has played. Kolkata ideally needed an Indian spin option but didn’t buy it. They bought Shakib al-Hasan for $1.5 million. However, KKR is still an option when it comes to backing up Indian players.
2) Investments made on Uncapped IPL Players
Several franchises such as Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, and Punjab Kings have invested heavily in uncapped players. It helped teams fill their player quotas, but not many receive games consistently. With nearly all franchises having a fixed starting 11, the investment may look ideal for the season.
3) Lack Of All-Rounders
Rosters of teams such as Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers have included very less all-rounders. An ever-changing format needs more all-rounders, but this is one of the areas where these three franchises might fall short. SRH doesn’t have a quality all-rounder in the XI. The situation is similar with the RR and RCB.
4) Identifying Wrong Impact Players
BCCI is ready to introduce new rules to the tournament. This rule is called the “Impact Player” rule and adds a new dimension to tournaments. According to the specified rules, both teams must nominate four substitutes along with their own pieces at the time of the draw. An impact player may replace any member of the starting XI at any time before his 14 overs of an inning are completed, and may strike and pitch all of his quota of overs.
The new ‘Impact Player’ rule will spice up the upcoming IPL season. If a franchise does not use the right player as a hitter then batting duels are not carefully decided. This is an additional issue for all franchises, and it will be interesting to see how they deal with it.
5) Confusion about Chasing Targets
I have often seen IPL captains choose to chase rather than roll first despite winning the toss. IPL 2022 was a classic example of a team that had won games in the first half of the season struggling to chase runs in the second half of the season.
Similar issues were highlighted by MS Dhoni, a CSK skipper, in the second part of IPL 2021 held in the UAE. Therefore, franchise owners, managers, and captains should have a good plan for how they will approach the new season.
