Following an action-packed player retention ceremony before to the IPL super auction for the 15th season in 2022, the focus now switches to the lucrative tournament’s next debutant franchises, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.
The first new entrant, The RP-Sanjiv Goenka (RPSG) Group, was the top bidder with INR 7,090 Crore, while the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners (Irelia Company Pvt. Ltd) was the second-highest bidder with INR 5,625 Crore. The RPSG group own the Lucknow franchise, while The CVC Capitals own the Ahmedabad franchise.
The above franchises are expected to select a total of three players before the IPL 2022 mega auction, which is expected to take place in January of next year.
Within a purse limit of INR 33 crore, both franchises can choose a maximum of two Indian players (capped or uncapped) and one overseas player.
David Warner, who had a difficult connection with his previous club Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), is expected to be selected into the Ahmedabad-based franchise’s team before bidding for the other players in the available pool at the big auction.
Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, is expected to be drafted as the franchise’s skipper, if reports are to be believed. He previously parted ways with the Delhi Capitals after being stripped of the franchise’s captaincy following his injury in 2020.
Hardik Pandya, who is struggling with form and a long-term injury concern, is expected to be drafted third. Pandya, who is also from Gujarat, could serve as a great brand for the franchise, with a reputation that cannot be overlooked. However, when it comes to raw numbers, he is far from his lethal best, and he was a liability for the entire last season for MI, scoring at an average of 14.11 in 11 innings while not bowling at all.
According to reports, Proteas and former Mumbai Indians (MI) wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock is also among those expected to be drafted. However, only one of him or David Warner would be confirmed. De Kock was MI’s third-highest run-scorer this season, but he was not retained by the team, which had too many options.
Ahmedabad-based franchise, along with the Lucknow team, are expected to announce their three players to be drafted into their squad by December 25, 2021. The name of the Ahmedabad-based franchise has not yet been finalised, but an announcement is expected before the IPL 2022 mega auction.