3 players from ₹1 crore bracket who might go unsold at IPL 2024 auction
The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction will take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 19. As many as 333 players are set to go under the hammer after the earlier list of 1,166 cricketers was pruned down.
Out of the 333 players who have been shortlisted for the Dubai auction, 214 are Indian and 119 are overseas players, with two of them from associate nations. There are a total of 116 capped and 215 uncapped players in the auction list apart from the two cricketers from associate nations. The 10 franchises have a combined 77 slots to fill up, 30 of them being overseas slots.
Twenty-three players have registered their names in the highest base price category of ₹2 crore. There are 13 players in the IPL 2024 auction list who have a base price of ₹1.5 crore, while 14 players have set their reserve price at ₹1 crore.
In this feature, we look at three players from the ₹1 crore bracket who might go unsold at the auction.
#1 Ashton Turner
Australia’s big-hitting batter Ashton Turner is best remembered for his blazing 84* off 43 balls in the Mohali ODI against India in March 2019. Coming into bat at No. 6, he clobbered five fours and six sixes to lift the Aussies to a memorable four-wicket win while chasing a mammoth 359-run target.
Turner could not build on the brilliant knock and last played an ODI for Australia in July 2021. He has played 19 T20Is but has only managed 110 runs at an average of 12.22. The 30-year-old is currently captaining Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League (BBL).
The right-handed batter has impressive T20 numbers. In 185 matches, he has 2851 runs at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 141.20. However, Turner hasn’t done anything exceptional to catch the eye of IPL franchises.
He represented Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2019 but failed to make an impact and was subsequently released. Turner hasn’t featured in the IPL since and his chances of playing in the 2024 edition are extremely slim.
#2 Ashton Agar
Another Aussie, left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, has also put up his name in the ₹1 crore category for the IPL 2024 auction.
The 30-year-old has been a key member of Australia’s T20I outfit over the last few seasons. In 47 matches, he has picked up 48 scalps at an average of 22.35 and an impressive economy rate of 6.47 with two five-wicket hauls.
The slow bowler has done well in his overall T20 career as well, claiming 117 scalps in 141 matches at an average of 27.31 and an economy rate of 7.10. Agar can also chip in with the bat if needed. However, he isn’t viewed as a match-winner in the T20 format by IPL franchises, which is why he has never featured in the Indian T20 tournament so far.
With his base price of ₹1 crore, not many will be willing to raise the paddle for Agar when his name comes up at the IPL 2024 auction. As mentioned earlier, there are only 30 overseas slots up for grabs and all the franchises will be very particular about picking their overseas players.
#3 Sam Billings
England’s wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings is a highly experienced T20 campaigner. The 32-year-old has featured in 286 matches in the format, scoring 5475 runs at an average of 23.70 and a strike rate of 131.48 with 28 half-centuries.
In his IPL career, he has played 30 matches, scoring 503 runs at an average of 19.35 and a strike rate of 129.64. Billings has represented Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the T20 league over the years, but has shown only glimpses of brilliance.
Billings was released by KKR ahead of the IPL 2023 season. He opted out of the 2023 edition to focus on the longer format of the game.
The keeper-batter managed only 169 runs in eight games at a strike rate of 122.46 at the 2022 edition for Kolkata. Billings has put up his name for the auction this time, but might not find many takers.