India's spin maestro and Rajasthan Royals star player Ravichandran Ashwin made a big prediction on two star players who will be fetching big bucks in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction. The stage is set for the glitzy IPL 2024 auction which will be held in Dubai on December 19, Tuesday.
Ashwini predicted that Australian fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will hit the jackpot by breaching INR 14 crore-mark, particularly after their success in the recently-concluded ODI World Cup 2023 in India. He also speculated that all-rounder Shahrukh Khan, recently released by Punjab Kings, might attract bids in the range of INR 10 to 14 crores, leading to a fierce bidding contest.
As far as Rachin Ravindra is concerned, Ashwin anticipates bids to fall between INR 4 and 7 crores. For fast bowler Harshal Patel, he foresees a bidding range of INR 7 to 10 crores, placing Gerald Coetzee in a similar category. Ashwin also predicts that Rovman Powell might receive bids within the INR 4 to 7 crore range.
Interestingly, Ashwin made a surprising prediction about World Cup hero Travis Head, suggesting he might not attract bids higher than INR 4 crores. Conversely, he believes that experienced Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav could fetch between INR 4 and 7 crores.
The IPL 2024 mini-auction is scheduled for Tuesday, December 19, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. This event has attracted registrations from 333 players, comprising 214 Indian cricketers and 119 from overseas, including two from ICC's associate nations. Among these, 119 players have previously played at the international level (capped), while 215 are yet to debut internationally (uncapped).
With only 77 slots available for this year's auction, including 30 specifically for overseas players, the competition promises to be intense as players vie for a spot in one of the 10 IPL teams. Marking a first in IPL history, the auction will be held outside India. The event is set to begin at 11:30 AM local time in Dubai, which means at 1:00 PM IST.
Meanwhile, Ashwin also extended his congratulations to Australian spinner Nathan Lyon on achieving a milestone of 500 Test wickets. During the first Test match between Australia and Pakistan in Perth, Lyon joined an elite list of bowlers by becoming the eighth player and the second off-spinner in history to claim 500 wickets in Test cricket.
Ashwin took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to acknowledge Lyon's achievement. “8th bowler and only the 2nd off-spinner in history to pick 500 test wickets. @NathLyon421 congrats mate #AUSvsPAK”.
Interestingly, Ashwin himself is on the brink of joining the 500-wicket elite club. Having started his Test career in the same year as Lyon in 2011, Ashwin has amassed 489 wickets in 94 matches. He currently ranks as the ninth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, just behind Lyon, who is at the eighth position.
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