What is the mood at the IPL auction? captains, wicketkeepers, finishers in demand | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: The excitement surrounding the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction was palpable during the ongoing first Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth. While passing Rishabh Pant on the opening day of the match, Australian pacer Nathan Lyon poked the Indian wicket-keeper batsman. “Where are we at the auction?” – asked Lyon. Pant replied: “I have no idea.”
While the Abadi Al Johar Arena in Jeddah is being painted in the latest IPL colours, a funny incident in Perth has shown that the auction is part of the scenery of the game and is in the minds of the players.

In fact, the two-day auction collapsed midway through the match on November 24-25 and Australians know Pant will be in demand after he was not retained by his franchise Delhi Capitals.
Pant is, in fact, one of the most popular properties at auctions. Captain, finisher and wicketkeeper all rolled into one, he is one player who can tick a few boxes for his team.
Talking about the three skills that Pant brings to the table, many franchises will be looking for one player who has the credibility and respect to lead an IPL team.
“Rishabh has the mentality that he can win the Cup anywhere,” Raina, who used to play for Chennai Super Kings, told Timesofindia.com ahead of the auction. “He tried hard in Delhi, worked really hard there… Same goes for Shreyas Iyer (not retained by KKR), same goes for KL. Rahul (not retained by Lucknow Super Giants) because now it is not just about buying players.
“They (teams) are also looking for a captain. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Punjab Kings, Delhi, Lucknow are the four teams that are looking for an Indian captain,” Raina analyzed.

HOT CHOICE FOR CAPTAIN:

Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul, Jos Buttler, Aiden Markram
The role of a wicketkeeper extends far beyond his duties behind the stumps, which is especially relevant in T20 cricket, where teams are looking for “keepers who can play either as a top order batter or as a finisher in the middle and lower order”. .
Interestingly, three players who will potentially lead the teams that buy them are also in the running for the wicket-keeper role and are expected to spark a bidding war between the franchises.
The list of sought-after wickets is once again topped by Pant.

HOT WICKET KEEPER OPTIONS:

Rishabh Pant, K.L. Rahul, Jos Buttler, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Jitesh Sharma, Phil Salt, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
The role of a finisher is always important for any T20 team around the world. The striking prowess of South African Heinrich Klaasen, who has been hired by his franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, is the latest example of how a striker can change the fortunes of his team.
An uncapped Ashutosh Sharma took IPL 2024 by storm while playing for Punjab Kings. His 189 runs came at 167.25, including 10 fours and 15 sixes.
Besides him, proven international performers such as David Miller and Glenn Maxwell could get another lucrative deal despite being in the twilight of their careers.

HOT CHOICES FOR THE ROLE OF FINISHER:

David Miller, Ashutosh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell