The stage is set for the upcoming 2024 IPL Player Auction, with the shortlist announced on Sunday featuring 333 players, including 214 Indian players and 119 overseas players, with two from associate countries. The highest reserve price of INR 2 Crore is held by 23 players, including Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur, and Umesh Yadav, all representing India.
Among the top-priced players are international stars like Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Chris Woakes, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. The return of Australia’s World Cup-winning captain, Aaron Finch, to the IPL mix has generated excitement. Hazlewood, who may miss the first half of the season due to the expected birth of his child, is also listed in the top price bracket.
Seven Australians, including World Cup hero Travis Head, and seven England cricketers, including Harry Brook, are among those listed with a base price of INR 2 Crore. Gerald Coetzee, who impressed in the World Cup, is one of three South Africans listed in the top bracket, along with Lockie Ferguson from New Zealand, Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, and Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Thirteen players are listed in the second-highest base price category of INR 1.5 Crore, all of whom are overseas players. Notable names include Wanindu Hasaranga, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Chris Jordan, and Tim Southee. The auction also includes 14 players in the INR 1 Crore bracket and 11 players in the INR 75 Lakh bracket. Additionally, there are two associate players, David Wiese from Namibia and Paul van Meekeren from the Netherlands.
The IPL auction, scheduled for December 19 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, will commence at 2:30 PM IST. A total of 77 slots are available to be filled across teams, with a maximum of 30 overseas slots. Teams will have a combined purse of INR 262.95 Crore to spend, with the Kolkata Knight Riders holding the highest number of slots (12), while the Gujarat Titans boast the highest purse (INR 38.15 Crore) heading into the auction.
As the excitement builds for the auction, cricket enthusiasts await the unveiling of new team compositions and the prospect of witnessing star players making their mark in the IPL 2024 season.
