IPL Auction 2022: 3 players who could be retained because of local identity
Right from its first edition which featured icon players, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has placed emphasis on finding the right homegrown talent. Ahead of IPL 2008, players like Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid were picked by their home franchises, setting the tone for a series of enthralling and highly competitive seasons.
However, with mega-auctions and new franchises coming every few years, IPL teams have been forced to move away from relying largely on homegrown talent. For example, IPL 2021 champions Chennai Super Kings had three players from Tamil Nadu - N Jagadeesan, C Hari Nishaanth and R Sai Kishore - but none of them played a game for the franchise.
As the next IPL auction cycle draws closer, franchises must retain local players in order to forge an identity and bring in more heartfelt support. Here are three players who could be retained by their home IPL franchise.
#3 Devdutt Padikkal - RCB
Virat Kohli has made Bangalore his adopted home, but the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) desperately lack a player in the mold of former superstars like Anil Kumble, KL Rahul and Rahul Dravid. In Devdutt Padikkal, who has represented Karnataka right from age-group cricket, RCB have a local player who could become the face of the franchise.
Apart from Kohli, RCB are likely to consider retaining Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell. But with both Siraj and Chahal being significantly older than Padikkal, the three-time finalists might want to invest in a youthful batter who has proved he has the ability to succeed at the highest level.
RCB need someone to take over from Kohli in the long run, and while it may be unrealistic for Padikkal to be handed over the reins immediately, he could certainly skipper the franchise in the future.
#2 Arshdeep Singh - PBKS
Arshdeep Singh was one of the few local players who were part of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) roster in IPL 2021, with the others being Prabhsimran Singh, Mandeep Singh and Harpreet Brar. Among the quartet, Arshdeep appears to have the highest ceiling, having already established himself as capable of performing while under the pump in the IPL.
At 22 years old, Arshdeep has a long and promising future ahead of him at his home franchise. The left-armer is a talented bowler who has variations and accuracy to complement his ability to swing the new ball, and would be a sweet deal for PBKS as an uncapped player in the INR 4 crore bracket.
PBKS have snapped up local talent quite often in the recent past, and they might retain Arshdeep on a cut-price deal ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.
#1 Rishabh Pant - DC
Rishabh Pant is now an established Indian cricket team star and one of the most exciting players across formats, which is reason enough for the Delhi Capitals (DC) to retain him.
But DC had a choice to make ahead of the IPL 2022 auction, with their former captain Shreyas Iyer reportedly desiring to captain a franchise in the tournament. The IPL 2020 finalists haven't officially confirmed it yet, but it seems like Pant will be the first of four retentions, with the others being Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel and Anrich Nortje.
Pant has been earmarked as a future Indian captain as well, having established himself as one of the first names on the national teamsheet in all three formats. So it's understandable that DC decided to go with Pant, who led the team to a top-of-the-table finish in IPL 2021, instead of Iyer.
But another reason could be that Pant is a Delhi boy who came up through the ranks in typical fashion in domestic cricket. Pant would've been retained by DC regardless, but their decision to make him captain ahead of Iyer might've been influenced by the fact that he has been associated with the franchise and its corresponding domestic team for a few years now.