5 players from eliminated VHT 2023 teams who can go for big money in the IPL 2024 auction ft. Kartikeya Kak
The 2023 Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is nearing its business end, has thrown up some excellent performances our way. The premier domestic one-day competition has showcased yet again why the wealth of talent in the country cannot be neglected for long.
The players, who were instrumental for their teams doing reasonably well, deserve to get a look-in by the IPL franchises, when they meet for the auction on 19 December.
The teams that most of these players represent have not had good runs in the competition and have been eliminated at the end of the group stage. This, by no means, diminishes the performances put up by these players.
In this listicle, we bring to you five such players who deserve to go for big money in the auction.
#1 Arslan Khan (Chandigarh)
Chandigarh's Arslan Khan is currently the leading run-scorer in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With 508 runs to his name, he is one of the key players to be considered by IPL teams ahead of the auction.
Khan has been a prolific scorer for Chandigarh in first-class cricket. He also holds the record for being the first batter from the union territory to score a century in the Ranji Trophy in 2019, when they first got affiliated with the BCCI.
Arslan can time the ball beautifully, and this will endear him to prospective IPL franchises. He has the potential to go for big money.
#2 Tanmay Agarwal (Hyderabad)
Tanmay Agarwal was stripped of the Hyderabad captaincy ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in favor of elegant southpaw Rahul Singh Gahlaut. He silenced his critics - of which there are many in the city of pearls - with a stellar showing in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Although Hyderabad failed to qualify for the knockout stages, Agarwal amassed 439 runs at an average of 87.80.
Despite having been previously with the SunRisers Hyderabad, Agarwal has not made his IPL debut yet. He may get the chance to do so if he is picked up by any franchise in the upcoming auction.
#3 Kartikeya Kak (Hyderabad)
Hyderabad seamer Kartikeya Kak, who has hogged the headlines for his stunning display of grit and resilience throughout his career, is also on this list.
Kak, who picked up a well-deserved five-wicket haul against Maharashtra but failed to take Hyderabad to glory, deserves to be picked by the IPL franchises and go for big money.
He has the ability to swing the ball away from the right-handers and also hit the deck hard when he comes on as an enforcer in the middle overs.
Kak is supremely fit, which makes him ideal, as does his experience of being in the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings' camps in the past.
Also read: Persistence and simplicity- the Kartikeya Kak way
#4 Manisankar Murasingh (Tripura)
Tripura's medium pacer Manisankar Murasingh, who has toiled hard in domestic cricket over the years, picked up 16 wickets in the seven matches he played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season.
Murasingh has been instrumental for Tripura over the years. Although he is 30 years old, this should be no barrier for him to get picked by an IPL franchise.
Murasingh has the ability to bowl good off-cutters as well as use the pace of the surface to the best of his ability as and when needed.
#5 Debabrata Pradhan (Odisha)
Odisha's little-known medium pacer Debabrata Pradhan too makes this list. At the time of writing, Pradhan is ranked in the second position on the list of leading wicket-takers in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season with 18 scalps to his name.
Pradhan is also classified as an all-rounder, as his lusty blows lower down the order testify.
Odisha did not have the best of campaigns in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season, but Pradhan was a stand-out performer for them, and deserves to get a look-in by IPL franchises and go for big money.