Auction day arrives: IPL mini auction promises crore rain and high-stakes team rebuilds

With just 77 slots open and ₹237.55 crore in total purse, IPL franchises are ready for an intense mini auction as teams like KKR and CSK enter with big money while Mumbai Indians face tough choices.

The countdown has begun for the IPL mini auction, one of the most closely watched events ahead of the next Indian Premier League season. Abu Dhabi is set to witness high-pressure bidding as franchises prepare to invest crores to strengthen their squads and address key weaknesses.

A total of 1,335 players from India and overseas had registered for the mini auction. After scrutiny, the BCCI shortlisted 350 players for the final auction pool. This list includes 16 capped Indian players, 96 capped overseas players, 224 uncapped Indians, and 14 uncapped foreign players. However, despite the large pool, only 77 slots are available across all teams, making competition intense. The combined remaining purse of the 10 franchises stands at ₹237.55 crore.

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Much of the spotlight is on Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, both entering the auction with strong financial flexibility. KKR, after making major changes to their squad ahead of the auction, have the biggest purse of ₹64.3 crore and 13 vacant slots. CSK follow with ₹43.4 crore remaining and 9 slots to fill. These two teams are expected to dominate the bidding.

Other franchises are also calculating carefully. Sunrisers Hyderabad have ₹25.5 crore with 10 slots open. Lucknow Super Giants have ₹22.95 crore and 6 slots, while Delhi Capitals have ₹21.8 crore with 8 available slots. Teams that struggled in the previous season are focused on building balanced squads this time.

In contrast, Mumbai Indians enter the mini auction with the smallest purse of just ₹2.75 crore, limiting their options and making their strategy one of the biggest talking points.

At the top end of the auction, 40 players have registered with a base price of ₹2 crore. Notably, only two of them are Indians, Venkatesh Iyer and spinner Ravi Bishnoi. The base price breakdown also includes nine players at ₹1.5 crore, four at ₹1.25 crore, 17 at ₹1 crore, 42 at ₹75 lakh, four at ₹50 lakh, seven at ₹40 lakh, and a massive 227 players at the base price of ₹30 lakh.

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Karnataka has strong representation in the auction with 14 players from the Karnataka State Cricket Association registered. Among the notable names are Mayank Agarwal, Abhinav Manohar, Vidwath Kaverappa, and Manoj Bhandage. Mayank Agarwal, listed at a base price of ₹75 lakh, is reportedly attracting interest from Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Though it is a mini auction, fan excitement is high. Questions dominate discussions: Who will KKR and CSK target with their big purses? How will Mumbai Indians manage with limited funds? Who tops RCB’s wishlist? All answers will emerge as the auction hammer falls in Abu Dhabi.