3 players from the ₹2 crore bracket who might be sold at their base price at IPL 2024 auction ft. Steve Smith 

On December 11, the Indian Premier League (IPL) released the list of the players who will go under the hammer at the upcoming IPL 2024 auction. The mini-auction is scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 19.

As many as 1,166 players registered for the auction but only 333 of them will be part of it. Of the 333 players, 214 are Indians while the other 119 are overseas.

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23 cricketers have registered their names in the ₹2 crore price bracket, which is also the maximum base price for a player in this year's auction.

While players like Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood are expected to earn big bucks, some might not garner interest from more than one or two franchises.

With several superstars with a base price of ₹2 crore anticipated to see tremendous demand, we examine three players from the list that may be bought at their base price.

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#3 David Willey

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David Willey for Royal Challengers Bangalore [Getty Images]

Even though all-rounders are usually sought-after players at IPL auctions, David Willey isn't anticipated to ignite a bidding spree. Listing himself in the ₹2 crore bracket, Willey announced his retirement from international cricket after the 2023 ODI World Cup.

The former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for his base price at the IPL 2022 auction. RCB then retained him for the 2023 edition of the league before releasing him ahead of the upcoming season.

Willey will turn 34 before the next IPL season, meaning that franchises will think twice before adding him to their rosters. With his pace hovering in the 120s and early 130s (kmph) at best, teams might look for different options when it comes to left-arm pace bowling.

By the looks of it, there might be a situation where RCB goes on to re-sign Willey, as the franchise has numerous bowling slots to fill.

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#2 Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Afghanistan v Sri Lanka - ICC Men's T20 World Cup [Getty Images]

Despite all his success for Afghanistan and for different T20 franchises all around the globe, Mujeeb ur Rahman has not been able to find an IPL contract for a couple of editions now.

The last time Mujeeb played in the IPL was during the 2021 edition, where he played just a solitary game for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

However, at the IPL 2024 mini-auction, there would be a couple of teams that might look for an overseas spinner. Mumbai Indians (MI), in particular, could target the young T20 specialist spinner, as the franchise lacks quality options in that department.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) might be another franchise that can go for Mujeeb. However, there can also be a case for these teams to sign more of a spin-bowling all-rounder.

Hence, the Afghan tweaker is not expected to generate a bidding war but can find a suitor for him at the base price.

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#1 Steve Smith

Steve Smith might be sold at his base price at IPL 2024 [Getty Images]

Considered a modern-day legend due to his dazzling Test and ODI record, Steve Smith is not a renowned overseas batter in the IPL. The Aussie star, who is one of the world's most effective batters, has had his moments in T20 cricket.

In fact, in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2022/23, Smith hammered 346 runs at a strike rate of 174.75, including two back-to-back centuries for the Sydney Sixers.

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In the IPL, however, he hasn't fired up for some time now. Since 2018, Smith has played only three of the total six IPL editions and has made 782 runs at an average of 25.22 and a strike rate of around 120.

While these numbers are not that bad, they are not great either. A player who likes to bide his time before accelerating, Smith can be an ideal anchor on a T20 side. However, the majority of the IPL teams already have their top-order slots filled.

However, with the aim of filling one slot with an experienced campaigner, any one of the 10 franchises could raise their paddle for the 34-year-old.

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