It is not long before the bidding war begins for the global superstars of the cricketing world as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auctions take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. The eight teams will be joined by two new inductees for the latest season as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Ahmedabad make the cut. Before the battle begins on the pitch, the off-field battle will grab headlines. Here is a look at what the IPL bidding process will look like and how many players will have their destinies in the bidding pot.
Salary cap left
All the eight teams that participated in the 2021 edition were allowed to retain a maximum of four players with two new teams allowed to sign any three players who weren't retained (one overseas player). This though came at a price as players were categorised according to their value. After the retention process, the net amount was deducted from the overall salary cap of Rs 90 crores. The rest of the amount can be spent in the auctions.
Teams like Mumbai Indians (MI) retained players like Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard while Virat Kohli will continue his trade with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Amount and slot available
- Chennai Super Kings (48 crores left) - 21 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
Delhi Capitals (47.5 crores left) - 21 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
Kolkata Knight Riders (48 crores left) - 21 Indian players and 6 Foreign players slot left
Lucknow Super Giants (59 crores left) - 22 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
Mumbai Indians (48 crores left) - 21 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
Punjab Kings (72 crores left) - 23 Indian players and 8 Foreign players slot left
Rajasthan Royals (62 crores left) - 22 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
Royal Challengers Bangalore (57 crores left) - 22 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
Sunrisers Hyderabad (68 crores left) - 22 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
Ahmedabad (52 crores left) - 22 Indian players and 7 Foreign players slot left
220 players from 14 foreign countries to be part of the auction
While spending kitty remains different for various teams, the weight of expectations from the fans to buy the star players also remains a priority for the franchise. Altogether 220 foreign players will participate from 14 different cricketing nations, while the shopping cart will be attracting players from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Countries like Nepal, Namibia and the United States of America (USA) are also part of the auctions courtesy of their players. Here is a look at the number of players competing for maximum 70 overseas spots -
Australia - 47
West Indies - 34
South Africa - 33
England - 24
New Zealand - 24
Sri Lanka - 23
Afghanistan - 17
Bangladesh - 5
Ireland - 5
Namibia - 3
Scotland - 2
Nepal - 1
USA - 1
Zimbabwe - 1
Will the current U-19 crop produce stars of future?
Expectations will be high from the current squad of Under-19 players as they try to clinch the glory in West Indies. In 2008, Virat Kohli was roped in by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as part of the U-19 contingent. Just a month before he had won the U-19 World Cup, Kohli went on to star for the RCB franchise and remains the only player to have played every season of IPL for one single team. Players like Yash Dhull, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vicky Ostwal, Harnoor Singh and others will be closely monitored by the IPL franchises before they go big.
