As many as 333 players went under the hammer at the IPL Auction held at the Coca-Cola arena in Dubai. So, how are the various franchises shaping up at the end of it? Let’s have a deep-dive analysis on Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Analysis by Bharath Ramaraj
Gun batters
Heinrich Klaasen: The wicket-keeper-bat was one of the few success stories for SRH during the last season. He topped the batting charts for them and had a strike rate of 177. Klaasen has the required attributes to take on the spinners.
Travis Head: The opener was bought by the franchise for 6.80 crore in the auction. Head latches on to any bit of room to play shots square on the off side. He can also play cross-batted shots. More importantly, be it ball 1 or ball 100, Head is always on the lookout to play the big shot.
Aiden Markram: The South Africa batter didn’t exactly have a good time in IPL 2023, aggregating 248 runs in 13 matches. When on song, Markram can play a slew of delightful drives.
Middle-order/Finisher:
When it comes to finishing skills, Klaasen would again be the name to watch out for. To give some evidence of Klaasen’s prowess, he was striking at almost 200 against spin last season. In the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Hyderabad, Klaasen came out to bat at No. 4 and still ended up with more than 50 percent of the team’s runs.
New-ball bowlers
With SRH spending 20.5 crore on Pat Cummins, they are set to use the Australian captain as one of the new-ball bowlers. Cummins, though, has a bit of a patchy record in the IPL, having bagged 45 wickets at an average of 30. The veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar is set to partner him.
Quality spinner(s)
SRH made a smart buy by bagging Wanindu Hasaranga for 1.5 crore. Hasaranaga’s strengths of zooming the ball on the stumps and variations could turn out to be a key factor in home conditions.
Death bowling
Bhuvneshwar would have to shoulder the responsibility of bowling in the slog overs. T Natarajan could be the other mainstay of the attack in the death overs.
Captain
Markram is the current captain of the franchise. SRH also have Cummins, the World Cup-winning captain.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Analysis by Atreyo Mukhopadhyay
Three gun batters
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh. In that sequence, because that’s where they figure in this batting line-up. Batting let this team down in the last couple of seasons. Iyer’s return from injury, the rise of Rinku and the sustained display of ferocious batting intent from the Afghanistan international are good signs.
Middle/lower-order finisher
This responsibility will in all likelihood go to Andre Russell or Sherfane Rutherford. One can mention Rinku, but he might have to play the role of someone who is more than just a finisher. Russell will be the first choice. In case he is unfit or not in form, Rutherford is expected to take that responsibility.
New-ball bowlers
Mitchell Starc is obviously the talk of the town. The highest-ever IPL buy has overseas company in Gus Atkinson. But if only one of them play, KKR will have to depend totally on Indian talent. Chetan Sakariya, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana and Sakib Hussain is not a list KKR fans would be delighted with.
Quality spinners
This is something KKR have in plenty. In fact, it could be a problem of plenty. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and last season’s find, Suyash Sharma, form an enviable lot. If conditions help, this spin attack will test any batting line-up.
Death bowling
This is untested territory. Starc will certainly be expected to shoulder this responsibility. The other quick bowlers are not proven performers in this role. Maybe Sakariya will have to step up.
Captaincy
Iyer led Delhi Capitals to the play-offs in 2019 and the final in 2020. So, his record is good. How it adjusts to this set-up after missing a season because of injury has to be seen. Comes across as a proactive skipper.
Rajasthan Royals
Analysis by Gargi Raut
Three Gun Batters
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson. Jaiswal, the young Indian batter, has been RR’s best starter and goes for big shots from the get-go. His aggressive approach has not only impressed in the IPL but also lit up the global stage. Buttler, the skipper, provides incredible stability and dynamism to the line-up. Samson could be eyeing a World Cup berth with a strong showing.
Middle/lower-order finisher
Shimron Hetmyer is the main hope for Rajasthan Royals when it comes to finishing games. Hetmyer has been doing his job well to finish games for the franchise. In IPL 2023, he had an average of 37.50 and made sure to finish with a bang. Although Dhruv Jurel is stationed alongside Shimron, he failed to shine to the same degree.
New-ball bowlers
Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna. The dangerous Boult is one of RR’s most precious assets – striking early and penetrating the opposition’s top order is his speciality. The young Prasidh has also been proving his worth on the international stage for India, claiming a fifer and a hat-trick in a series against South Africa A.
Quality Spinners
Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin. Chahal’s performance in IPL 2023 was one of his best as he scalped 21 wickets in 14 matches. Although his economy was on the higher side, he proved to be penetrative. Ashwin, touted as a genius, knows how to read the game very well. With that experience under his belt and plenty of off-spin variations, his partnership with Chahal could be key to a play-off berth.
Captaincy
Samson, who has been compared to MS Dhoni for his composure on the field, is a very calm and assured captain. Rarely seen losing his cool on the field, Samson has done well leading Rajasthan after taking over the reins from Buttler in 2023. He also has the skill to use his bowlers very well, especially his spinners, who are some of the biggest assets in the team.
Punjab Kings
Analysis by Atreyo Mukhopadhyay
Three gun batters
Shikhar Dhawan, Rilee Rossouw, Jonny Bairstow. There is a fair amount of experience and ability to cut loose in these three. Dhawan and Bairstow have the potential to form a fearsome pair at the top. Rossouw is an ideal choice after these two.
Middle/lower-order finisher
This team appears to be a bit thin on resources when it comes to this. Liam Livingstone could have been an option, but his place in the XI is not certain. Jitesh Sharma may end up getting this job.
New-ball bowlers
Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, Chris Woakes and Nathan Ellis — there are some prominent names. But not all of them can play at the same time. That’s where Harshal Patel will be expected to play a big role. They can also look at Rishi Dhawan and Vidwath Kaverappa, who is not tested at this level.
Quality spinners
Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar are valuable acquisitions, but there doesn’t seem to be much after the two. All-rounder Sikander Raza is a useful spinner, but the four-foreigner rule means his chances of making the XI aren’t great.
Death bowling
This looks impressive. Rabada and Arshdeep can be effective in this period. So can Curran. This team could be difficult to get away for plenty towards the end of an innings.
Captaincy
Dhawan doesn’t have an eye-catching record as a skipper, but he comes across as a cool customer. In the cauldron that is the IPL, this can be a valuable trait. A lot will depend on how he deals with the complex situations, including the selection of the XI.