Indian Premier League is one of the highest cash-rich T20 tournaments across the globe. In fact, when you look at the salaries of a few players, the sum exceeds the winner’s prize money in other tournaments. Hence, at every auction, there is a keen curiosity as to how much more money gets invested in players.
At the moment, Virat Kohli is the highest earner in IPL, with him being kept on the payroll at INR 17 crores. In IPL history, Yuvraj Singh is the costliest player ever brought at the auctions. At the 2015 auctions, Delhi Daredevils paid a whopping amount of INR 16 crores to hire his services.
However, this amount can be a very easy figure to breach. We feel that if these six cricketers are released by their respective franchises, Yuvi’s INR 16 crore tag or even Virat’s INR 17 crore fee can be dwarfed at the auctions.
1. Virat Kohli
If Virat’s name does appear at the auctions, the whole of India will glue themselves in front of the TV sets. The man is a phenomenon not only in India but across the world. He is the poster boy of the game of cricket, and let alone his on-field performances, teams would benefit a lot from his brand popularity. And then, talking about his performances, there isn’t an introduction that is necessary. The man is a prolific run-scorer and will win you games even from the most difficult scenarios. Hence, he will put the auction table on fire if ever he arrives.
2. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is a complete IPL cricketer. He knows the tournament very well, and his record in the competition is the biggest proof. As a player, no one has won more IPL trophies than Rohit. For him, winning is a habit in this competition, and franchises would love to have him in their squads. While his batting exploits are well known, much of Rohit’s high stakes in IPL is due to his captaincy. He reads the game very well and is well-versed with the dynamics in IPL to pull off victories very often.
3. Hardik Pandya
There are already plenty who feel that Hardik Pandya will become the next superstar of Indian cricket. An absolute smacker of the ball, Hardik is a quality option to complete four overs in a T20 game. There are very few like him in world cricket. Hardik can chase mountainous targets in the final overs of the innings. When batting first, with him at the crease, any score is possible. And on the field, the Baroda-cricketer is a live wire and possesses a safe pair of hands.
4. Jasprit Bumrah
Until a few seasons ago, bowlers were not very much popular at the auctions. However, after figuring out that bowlers are extremely important in T20s, their stakes are also improving in IPL. Pat Cummins’ fat cheque at IPL 2020 auctions is a big evidence of the same. Nevertheless, the threshold figure in such a scenario can only belong to Jasprit Bumrah. India’s spearhead in all three formats, Bumrah is an IPL superstar on his own terms. He can have an impact in a variety of ways and has been one of the main reasons for Mumbai Indians’ success so far.
5. KL Rahul
KL Rahul has been the best batsmen in IPL for the last few seasons. He is also the skipper of KXIP now. Along with his IPL form, Rahul has also done well for India in recent times. While he is currently undroppable in the limited-overs’ format, KL is also taking big strides towards a comeback to the Test Team. Rahul would also be a fine investment for any IPL team. Going by the skills he has, he will easily remain at his peak for at least four to five more years. This would appeal to any IPL team in the competition.
6. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni at close to 40 years of age can beat the highest-auction price? He can and might as well do it if CSK releases him. The brand called MSD is just as strong and powerful as any other on the global market. Teams would fall in a queue if they have an opportunity for MSD to just don their jersey. Add to this the man’s captaincy, wicket-keeping, and finishing skills, MSD is still a hot cake in IPL.
