After the announcement of player retention and draft picks, all eyes are now on the IPL 2022 mega auction, scheduled for February 12 and 13.
A total of 590 cricketers will go under the hammer during the two-day mega auction. The list incorporates 228 capped, 355 uncapped and 7 Associate players.
With less than a week to go for the bidding war, a PTI report claims that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will bid heavily for West Indies’ ace all-rounder Jason Holder.
RCB have already retained the services of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj and the franchise is likely to bid up till INR 12 crore for Holder at the mega auction because of his multiple skill-sets.
“Ben Stokes isn’t available, Hardik Pandya and Marcus Stoinis are taken. Mitchell Marsh you never know whether he can survive a full IPL with his injury prone career, Holder has been phenomenal if one looks at his record. RCB will like to go the distance as some others will also pitch in,” a source close to franchise told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Notably, RCB have INR 57 crore in their auction purse and they are reportedly interested to rope in Ambati Rayudu and Riyan Parag as well.
“For Holder, they have reserved Rs 12 crore and another Rs 8 crore for Rayudu and Rs 7 crore for Parag. If they spend Rs 27 crore approximately on these players, they would have another Rs 28 crore left.
“The core with Kohli, Maxwell, Siraj, Holder, Rayudu and Parag will be set. Let’s hope they can get two out of preferred three,” the source said.
In the past, former South Africa all-rounder had attracted huge bids for being a multi-skilled player and now Jason Holder has similar worth.
“Chris Morris was a good cricketer but was he worth Rs 16 crore plus when he got that? Perhaps no but paucity of all-rounders made some franchises desperate.
“Same for Yuvraj Singh’s 15 crore by Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) back in 2015, when he was already well past his sell by date. It was brand plus market,” another senior official from a franchise told PTI.
As far as Rayudu is concerned – his contribution to CSK’s success has been immense in the last four years. He has enlisted as a keeper-batter for this auction and, thus, likely to fetch big bucks.
As for Parag, he had a poor IPL 2021 after impressing one and all in 2020. He is a clean striker in the lower order and also gives a bowling option, making him a viable proposition.
With Virat Kohli stepping down as captain after the IPL 2021 season, the Bangalore-based franchise is also looking at a potential captaincy candidate and they might bid for Shreyas Iyer as well.
(With PTI inputs)
