Published: May 20, 2011, 11:22 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 20, 2014, 11:26 PM (IST)
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
In part one, we had a look at the possible auction strategies for the Indian Premier League (IPL) season five for Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals. The article below focuses on the rest of the teams who are not in need of any major changes like the three discussed in part one.
Kings XI Punjab
A mere look at the Kings XI Punjab squad gives one the impression that it is a very strong unit. Their only problem this season has been the lack of consistency. They have had either prolonged winning streaks or winless runs. This side will get stronger as Stuart Broad and Dmitri Mascarenhas will return as they missed out on the current season due to injury. One possible problem they may face is that three of their main players namely – Ryan Harris, Shaun Marsh and David Hussey – are Australian internationals. That means if they are picked for their country during the season, Kings XI may be short of players. They can try to pick a non-Australian international in the next auction so that they have more options at hand.
Kochi Tuskers Kerala
Like Kings XI Punjab, Kochi have struggled to maintain consistency. They haven’t been the luckiest unit as John Hastings and Steven Smith had to leave due to injuries which depleted their resources. The good thing about Kochi is that they have a good crop of Indian players like Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh and Ravindra Jadeja. The only possible addition they can make is to procure a foreign fast bowler. This would give them more options in their fast bowling department and will also help Sreesanth and RP Singh as some of the pressure may be taken off their shoulders. Somebody like Kemar Roach may be a very good buy for the next season.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders have a very balanced side and have been very good in IPL season four. They only suffered in their first game as they did not have all their foreign players as four of them being Australian, were away playing for their country. Thus, a possible diversification of their foreign players for the next season may be the way forward as they won’t have to suffer the way they did in their first game.
Pune Warriors India
The Pune Warriors campaign reminds me of Deccan Chargers’ run in 2008. Like Deccan of 2008, Pune have a very strong side on paper but that is where it ends. The performance on the field has failed to justify the line-up they have. What they can do is take a leaf out of Deccan Chargers book while making plans for the next season. They need not make changes to their line-up but can possibly try to add a few players to their squad. The main talking point about Pune this season has been their strategy. Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa have batted down the order and need to come up so that they can anchor the innings and get runs for them. Thus, in the auctions they can try to add a few players but they have to concentrate on their gameplay strategy more than anything else.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
This is a very strong team on paper but their performances improved only after Chris Gayle joined their squad. However, he is there only as a replacement for Dirk Nannes and will be up for sale at the auction next year. Thus, Bangalore have to do everything they can at the next auction to retain Gayle. They have a good side and even if they spend a huge amount on Gayle, it may not damage them too much. With their remaining amount they can buy some promising players and groom them along the way.
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai has a very well balanced line-up. The only issue is that they do not have a bowler who can replace Lasith Malinga in the hour of need. In the next auction they should try to buy an out and out quick bowler who can be a back-up for Malinga. Although a few people say that Mumbai need an opening batsman to support Tendulkar; Davey Jacobs and Aiden Blizzard have done well in patches and deserve more chances in the next season as they can strike consistency anytime.
Chennai Super Kings
The Chennai domination of the IPL seems endless and this is because they have the best line-up in the tournament. They have a fantastic mix of Indian and foreign players which make them a very tough unit to beat. Chennai can only get stronger from here on; irrespective of the result of the current season. In the next auction they will have the freedom to add players to their side without having any preconceived notions as their current squad looks good for the entire tenure of three years. This is mainly because of their fantastic auction strategy prior to the current season where they managed to buy most of the players who played for them in the previous three editions.
Thus, these are a few things that the teams would keep in mind before the auction. However, I expect a very active transfer window this time around as some of the franchises may not like to leave it to the auction.
Nevertheless, during the auction the teams have to be smart and decisive in picking players and placing bids. They should also keep in mind the limit set by the IPL for spending at the auction.
The games begin much before the season starts, the competition between the franchises to buy players would be intense even in the next season as it has been in previous auctions.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya, a 20-year-old law student, is a club and college-level cricketer. His teachers always complain, “He knows the stats and facts of cricket more than the subjects we teach him.”)
