There have been 11 IPL auctions so far, but none have been as glamour-less as the upcoming one is expected to be. Given how franchises have understood the drill of picking and managing players over the years, most teams have retained their core, barring Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab, who have yet again pressed the refresh button.
IPL 2019 AUCTION
IPL 2019 auction: Players to watch out for
Shimron Hetmyer is likely to have franchises scrambling for his big-hitting services. © Getty
As a result, only a few spots are left for most franchises to fill up. However, what adds to the interesting dynamics of this auction is the [limited] availability of some of the top foreign players with the World Cup coming up in June. Some of the big names, especially those from England like Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales and Jason Roy may not propel a major bidding war as the they are expected to join their national teams mid-way through the tournament.
The shortlist doesn't see a lot of big names, and the buying stratergies could depend a lot on the availability of players - making players from New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa and Windies hot buys. However, of those who are available, especially Indians, could go for big money.
Depending on where the franchises fall short, we have listed some of the players who are expected to generate a lot of interest.
Batsmen:
Given how the teams stand, middle order batsmen are bound to attract a lot of bids. There is a dearth of quality middle-order Indian batters who are not retained. And hence, the best of the lot who will be present at the auction are bound to gain some attention.