Hunting for power play

It’s that time of year again when the collective hopes of an entire city of cricket obsessives are pinned on a group of officials to pick the best team. We are talking, of course, of the IPL player auctions slated for February 8. With two of the strongest teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, not in the running this season, and consequently, a fraction of the best players being absorbed into the two new outfits (Pune and Rajkot), it’s going to be interesting to see the results the much anticipated event throws up.

KC Cariappa, a Bengaluru boy who played for Kolkata Knight Riders last season, has been released into the pool and is hoping to be picked up by Shahrukh Khan’s team this season too.

“The IPL auctions are one of the biggest highlights for us players. Usually, we’ve got our fingers crossed that we get picked by one team at least. This year, I’d like to go back to KKR as I’m familiar with all the team members and know how each one works. Bangalore is my home team and I will always want to be part of it. But I’m proud of KKR too and that’s where I see myself for now,” shares the bowler, who was relatively unknown until he got picked up for Rs 2.5 crores last season. Talking about the players to watch out for this IPL, he says,  “Last year, Delhi Daredevils’ Shreyas Iyer made quite an impact on everyone with outstanding performances. So it’s going to be interesting to see how he fares this year.”   

Echoing Cariappa’s thoughts, Shishir Bhavane, who played for RCB last year, is praying to be picked up and has no preferences. “I think most of us are a little tense and nervous around auction time. We don’t really know what to expect. All we can do is hope to be bought by some franchise or the other and work really hard to prove ourselves,” says the batsman, who hails from the town of Hubli.

While some players, like Dinesh Karthik (whose expertise came at a  staggering Rs 10.5 crore in 2015), get picked up for exorbitant prices, Bhavane explains that the price of a player ultimately depends on the buyers. “It depends on the combination they are after, how badly they want the player and whether the purchase will help win matches,” he says.

Cricket commentator and expert Charu Sharma finds that balance is key for RCB and for every other team as well. “You’ll hear this very often, but balance is everything. Because if you have a balanced team, you have a better chance at doing well. One also needs a stronger reserve of fast bowlers as they deplete very easily. They bowl for barely four overs, but it’s an intense spell,” he explains. Talking about the effort that goes into these auctions, he says, teams generally go in with strategies and a list of players they’ll be going after, with preferences noted down. “If you spend too much money on one player, then you won’t have enough for the other players on your list and you’ll get a raw deal. But most often, no matter how prepared you are, nothing ever goes to plan, from my experience. Every auction is highly unpredictable. So expect the unexpected,” he tells us.