Royal Challengers Bangalore's wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has raised concerns over certain practices in the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auctions, pointing out strategies used by players and their agents to secure high-value deals. His observations come in the wake of the IPL 2024 mini-auction, which took place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19, and witnessed some record-breaking bids.
During the auction, significant amounts were spent on acquiring top players, notably Australia's Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Cummins was bought by SunRisers Hyderabad for a hefty Rs 20.50 crore, while Kolkata Knight Riders secured Starc for an unprecedented Rs 24.75 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.
In a video released by Cricbuzz, Karthik highlighted the trend of players and agents bypassing the main auction to appear in the mini-auction, a tactic that often leads to inflated player values.
"I think players and agents are using this as a tactic where instead of coming to the main auction, which happens every three years, they let that pass and come in the mini auction that happens the year after and in that because of the holes available, they go for some crazy pricing and I think this unhealthy trend should stop now," said Karthik.
To address this issue, Karthik proposed two potential solutions. Firstly, he suggested that players released and entering the mini-auction should have a cap on their bids, not exceeding the amount they fetched in the main auction.
"I have two solutions. Anybody coming in the mini auction after they've been released from major auction can only go to the ceiling of the price that they have been bought in the major auction so that there is no I think bad blood among the players who have done well and have been retained in that team. Most of the players have been released into the mini auction have come through because probably they haven't had a great year," Karthik added.
Secondly, he recommended setting a limit on the salaries of players in the mini-auction based on the highest-paid player's earnings in each team.
"The second one in case a player hasn't been part of the major auction and comes through to the mini auction, I think he can only go up to the point of the highest paid player in that team. Whatever money he is bid for beyond that should be given back to the BCCI, a feeling that will probably ensure sanity to some point. It is still a tad bit unfair, but I think that is the best way to go because I see a lot of foreign players actually using that as a loophole," said the RCB wicketkeeper-batter.
These proposed changes aim to bring more balance and fairness to the bidding process in the IPL's mini-auctions. With all teams now gearing up for the 2024 IPL season, which is scheduled to start on March 22 and run until the end of May, these insights and suggestions from an experienced player like Karthik add an interesting dimension to the league's auction dynamics.
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