IPL Auction 2020: Grading each franchise based on their performance
With the year 2020 right around the corner, BCCI has already started gearing up for the 13th season of its star-studded T20 league the IPL. They recently held the auction for the upcoming season allowing teams like the Mumbai Indians to iron out any chinks in their armour while giving teams like the Royal Challengers Bangalore a chance to start afresh.
The 2020 IPL auction saw its fair share of big-money acquisitions some of which left cricket fans surprised.
With over 140 crores spent and over 60 players bought by the franchises, there was a lot to analyse as to how shrewd and logical were the teams with their money and purchase of players.
Here is a complete analysis & grading of each team based on their performance in the auction.
#1 Mumbai Indians- Auction Grade: B+
Players bought: Chris Lynn(2 Cr), Nathan Coulter Nile(8 Cr), Saurabh Tiwary(50 Lac), Mohsin Khan(20 Lac), Digvijay Deshmukh(20 Lac), Prince Balwant Rai Singh(20 Lac)
With 4 titles to their name, Mumbai Indians are the most successful franchise in the history of the tournament. The majority of their success can be credited to their scouts and the front office which over the years has unearthed and nurtured the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya into world-beaters.
Such has been the dominance of their core domestic players that new players barely get a chance to feature in the playing eleven. The same narrative may continue in the 2020 season as only 2 of their 6 picks from this auction seemingly have a chance to start from match 1.
Hard-hitting Aussie opener Chris Lynn was the first name out of the bag in the auction and was picked up at his base price of 2 crores. 2 scenarios might play out with Lynn in 2020. First, he opens alongside Quinton De Kock as Rohit Sharma moves down the order or Second, Rohit Sharma stays put as an opener and Lynn replaces Ishan Kishan down the order.
Aussie fast bowler Nathan Coulter Nile was roped in for a hefty sum of 8 crores and like Lynn has 2 scenarios playing out for him in 2020. First, he starts alongside Bumrah and Malinga as Mumbai's 3rd seamer or Second, he replaces Kieron Pollard as an all-rounder in the squad.
Finding faults in this Mumbai side is like nitpicking but if we are to talk about a weakness in the Mumbai side it has to be the lack of an experienced quality spin bowler apart from Krunal Pandya.