Most suitable pick for each team at the IPL auction 2017
The IPL auction 2017 concluded yesterday and it was as fascinating as it promised to be. Months of research go into executing a plan for the auction keeping the various variables in mind, but what actually happens during the 6 hours can be very different.
One can only imagine how much of an incredibly painstaking task it is for all the teams as we ourselves spent hours pondering the best possible players for each team.
This year’s auction was slightly different from previous years. It appears that after 9 years, owners have decided to take a more pragmatic approach towards making bids for players.
Out of the 352 players that went under the hammer, only 66 eventually got sold. It might be due to the fact that 2018’s auction will be very different as we will see a clean slate for each team like we did in the first ever IPL auction.
FULL LIST OF PLAYERS SOLD AT THE AUCTION.
Some teams like the Rising Pune Supergiants decided to splash the cash on one player, while others like the Gujarat Lions decided to spend it on a number of different options.
After the conclusion of the auction, we listed down the most suitable buy for each team for the 2017 season.
Delhi Daredevils – Kagiso Rabada
The South African speedster’s pedigree is unquestionable and his recent form merits the top-10 ranking he holds in both Tests and ODI cricket. The Delhi Daredevils had a strong squad prior to the start of the auction with a mix of foreign matchwinners like Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris, Carlos Brathwaite and Indian youngsters like Rishabh Pant and Karun Nair.
However, the team did appear to be very ‘top heavy’ and lacked depth in the bowling department. They fixed that during the action, snapping up Pat Cummins, Rabada, Angelo Mathews and Murugan Ashwin.
That being said, Rabada promises to be the most exciting acquisition and there’s a high chance he will be close to the top of the wicket-takers list at the end of the season. In T20 cricket, he takes a wicket every third over and has an economy of just over 7 showing his effectiveness.