3 former Indian cricketers who would have fetched maximum demand at the IPL 2023 Auction
The IPL 2023 Auction is set to be held on December 23 in Kochi and the buzz and excitement around the same is palpable. With all 10 franchises looking to iron out their chinks and bolster their rosters, the time will come to a standstill when a number of exciting and talented names go under the hammer.
Ever since the inaugural edition of the league in 2008, a number of talented youngsters from India have been catapulted into the limelight. Not only have they gone on to make a name for themselves, but they have swiftly climbed up the ladder to represent the country.
One wonders how a number of former Indian cricketers might have possibly fared had they played in today's era. Let's look at three such names then who would have come in for huge demand at the IPL 2023 Auction had they been active in today's world.
#1 Kapil Dev
Only Kapil Dev cud have dine that! Only #kapildev
July30,1992 this day 32 years ago witnessed a story of Attitude,Skill, Determination,Conviction & Execution by one & only Kapil Dev.
#cricket #History #ENGLAND #India #spin #followon
#OnThisDay #skipper #batting #Sixers https://t.co/OftJJgdPwi
Oh, the windfall if Kapil Dev's name would have gone under the hammer in a utopian world! The greatest all-rounder India has ever produced, the former World Cup-winning skipper was well ahead of his time. From carrying India's bowling unit almost single-handedly to changing games with the bat in his counter-attacking manner, he was one of a kind.
That India has struggled to produce a cricketer capable of matching the great man skillwise is a testament to how he was a generational talent.
Had he been active in today's era instead, he would have surely fetched a bounty at the IPL 2023 Auction.
#2 Javagal Srinath
Your annual look at one of the greatest ODI deliveries ever!
Happy birthday Javagal Srinath :tada: https://t.co/AmFfV8UdJH
Fast bowlers have always been a hot property in IPL auctions and Javagal Srinath is one of the greatest that India has ever produced. Dubbed the 'Mysore Express', he was one of the quickest bowlers to play the game and was a pivotal lynchpin through the 1990s.
There aren't too many quick Indian pacers up for grabs at the IPL 2023 Auction. In a utopian world, there is no denying that Srinath would have fetched a huge sum had he been part of the current era.
With the ability to bowl quick, swing the ball and send down a lethal yorker, he was the complete package. Add to that the fact that he used to play the pinch-hitter's role with the bat and he would have been a smashing hit at the IPL 2023 Auction in a parallel world.
#3 Sandeep Patil
Sandeep Patil's ODI strike rate of 82.17 was a clear indicator of a batter well ahead of his time for the era he played in. He may have fallen off the radar a couple of years after the 1983 World Cup triumph but was as dashing a batter as any during that time.
Walking in at No. 5, Patil struck a breezy unbeaten 51 off 32 deliveries in the semi-finals of that World Cup against England. Middle-order batters who can hit out without the need for sighters have always been a fancied proposition in T20 cricket.
While Patil never played the format, his approach would have made him a favorable pick at the IPL 2023 Auction had he played in this era.
Which other former cricketer do you think would have been a great fit at the IPL 2023 Auction had he played today? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: 3 young Indian batters RCB can sign as Virat Kohli's backup in the IPL 2023 Auction