Rs 639.15 crores spent on 182 players. An average of Rs 3.5 crore per player. A staggering 21 players earning nine-figure contracts. Two of those – Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer – setting foot in a territory that had remained unexplored and impregnable since the competition’s inception – crossing the Rs 25 crore mark.
For many reasons, the latest instalment of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction was undeniably avant-garde, especially whilst comparing it to its predecessors.
That, though, is about optics, and would be of interest for those with an affinity for the spectacle. In this article, however, we focus on the tactical dynamics that could shape the upcoming season, discussing how the teams stack up after two days of paddle pyrotechnics, analysing the strengths, weaknesses and probable playing XIIs of all ten franchises.
1. Mumbai Indians
The IPL 2023 standings are not an accurate portrayal of Mumbai Indians’ strength. That, they finished plum last despite boasting a star-studded squad, was an aberration. An anomaly.
With the five players that they retained – skipper Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma – Mumbai already were among the favourites to qualify for the playoffs, much before Mallika Sagar could bring her hammer down for the first player on 24 November.
The fundamental challenge was to facilitate the core protagonists with quality supporting acts, and considering they entered the auction with a purse of merely Rs 45 crores, Mumbai Indians aced all markers and parameters.
Full Squad
Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Allah Ghazanfar, Will Jacks, Ashwani Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Reece Topley, Krishnan Shrijith, Raj Angad Bawa, Satyanarayana Raju, Bevon Jacobs, Arjun Tendulkar, Lizaad Williams, Vignesh Puthur.
Probable Playing XII
Strengths
MI's pace department is not all about Bumrah anymore
Unlike previous editions, Mumbai’s pace unit will not resemble a one-man show in the upcoming season. Jasprit Bumrah will be partnered by Trent Boult, who had scalped 38 wickets in his two seasons with Mumbai, and has been a consistent performer for Rajasthan Royals ever since. The third seamer’s role will be played by Deepak Chahar, who – for the solitary exception of IPL 2024 – has been a match-winner for Chennai Super Kings.
The promise of Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
In the spin department, Mumbai will be immensely bolstered by the addition of Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar.
Who is he? An 18-year-old exciting spin prodigy from Afghanistan. Think of the young Rashid Khan during his Hyderabad days, except Ghazanfar is an off-spinner, not a leggie. He has picked 29 wickets in 16 T20s, at an economy rate of – you might find it difficult to believe – under 6 runs per over.
Batting depth
Batting depth has always been a strength for Mumbai Indians, and it will continue to be this season, following the addition of Will Jacks and Naman Dhir. We might see skipper Pandya batting at number 7.
Weaknesses
Inexperienced acquisitions
For all the excitement around Mumbai Indians’ squad, caution must also be exercised, for they will rely on youngsters who are yet to be tested in the cauldron of the IPL.
Ryan Rickelton, who will open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma, has done incredibly well for the franchise’s SA20 side – MI Cape Town – but has yet to debut in the IPL. Ghazanfar, despite having an incredibly high ceiling, has yet to play a T20I match for Afghanistan. Be it Will Jacks or Naman Dhir, IPL experience is not found in abundance among the MI squad.
The Quint's Rating – 9.5/10
2. Delhi Capitals
Delhi have had assembled decent squads in the past, and on all of those occasions, they were unsuccessful in translating auction success into on-field triumphs. What will happen in IPL 2025 remains unknown, but for the former bit, they have indeed assembled what looks like a well-rounded squad on paper, despite parting ways with Rishabh Pant.
Squad
Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Mitchell Starc, KL Rahul, Harry Brook, Jake Fraser-McGurk, T. Natarajan, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Faf du Plessis, Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmantha Chameera, Donovan Ferreira, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Tripurana Vijay, Madhav Tiwari.
Playing XII
Strengths
Potent bowling unit
Having retained Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, Delhi already had secured eight overs of quality spin. Following the auction’s conclusion, it is safe to conclude that they need not worry much about the remaining 12 overs of pace.
For Rs 11.75 crore, IPL 2024’s most expensive purchase Mitchell Starc was a shrewd pick. Despite struggling to find his rhythm in the initial phase of the previous edition, the Australian quick eventually ended up picking 17 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders.
He will be supported by Mukesh Kumar, who, too, scalped 17 wickets last season, and T Natarajan, who has hardly ever failed to deliver for SunRisers Hyderabad since 2022.
Fiery finishers
Should Delhi’s bowling appear intimidating, there is not much wrong with their batting either. With possible skipper KL Rahul opening the innings with Jake Fraser-McGurk, the likes of Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma – who have already proven their worth in this competition – can be entrusted with the task of finishing with aplomb.
Weaknesses
Dearth of all-rounders
Barring Axar Patel, there is a dearth of all-round options in the Delhi squad. The likes of Ajay Mandal, Tripurana Vijay and Manvanth Kumar L are all uncapped and untested players, who are highly unlikely to make it to the playing XII. Hence, Delhi might have to rely heavily on five bowling options.
Vulnerable top-order
Delhi's top-order might prove to be a cause of concern should Rahul and Fraser-McGurk get into a rut. Harry Brook, signed for Rs 6 crore, looked out of ideas in his solitary season in the IPL, whilst Abishek Porel, despite having performed well last season, is still a novice.
The Quint's Rating – 9/10
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Like Mumbai, SunRisers Hyderabad had completed the bulk of their squad construction prior to the auction, having retained five players who played the most crucial roles in their IPL 2024 campaign – captain Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy. At the auction, they have done a fairly commendable job of filling in the missing pieces.
Squad
Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head, Mohammad Shami, Harshal Patel, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Brydon Carse, Kamindu Mendis, Aniket Verma, Eshan Malinga, Sachin Baby.
Playing XII
Strengths
Incredible batting firepower
If Hyderabad’s previous batting unit resembled brute force, breaching the 200-run mark as if it was light work, the newest makeover will further amplify it to demolition catalysts. They have signed Ishan Kishan, whose strike rate was nearly 150 last season, and Abhinav Manohar, who has a career T20 strike rate in excess of 150. Moreover, they have also signed a certain Aniket Verma, who struck a 41-ball 123 in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League.
Strong pace attack
Hyderabad have also strengthened their pace unit, which might seem like a perplexing comment following the departures of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan. However, with the acquisitions Mohammed Shami – who took 28 wickets in his last season with Gujarat Titans, and Harshal Patel – the purple cap winner of last season with 24 wickets, they have certainly made up lost ground.
Weaknesses
Who will bat at number 7?
Till number six, Hyderabad’s batting unit is as good as it gets. The problem arrives immediately after, at number 7, with the team lacking a proven finisher. Aniket Verma is likely to be the team’s designated fifth-down, albeit he has yet to play a professional game for the Madhya Pradesh team. The two alternatives – Sachin Baby and Atharva Taide – do not possess the skill set to be termed as finishers.
Hands tied in spin department
Hyderabad will once again have their hands tied in terms of spin bowling. Cummins will be reliant on his Australian teammate Adam Zampa, who did not look too threatening during his last IPL stint with Rajasthan Royals. He will be supported by Rahul Chahar, who took only 18 wickets in 23 matches over the last two seasons for Punjab.
Low on proven backups
Lastly, Hyderabad will be hoping and praying to have an injury-free season, especially in the case of their overseas stars. For, their three backups – Kamindu Mendis, Eshan Malinga and Brydon Carse – have never played in the IPL.
4. Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s auction strategy has polarised opinions like they nearly always do. On this occasion, however, they deserve plaudits for a strategic deviation from chasing after the big names, and rather embracing pragmatism and balance, as acknowledged by the Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat.
Squad
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.
Playing XII
Strengths
A top 6 with enormous potential
Batting and Bengaluru have been a match made in Chinnaswamy – a mutual endearment that will be renewed next season. RCB have made astute acquisitions to partner Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar. Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone have had 400+-run seasons in the IPL, Jitesh Sharma scored 309 runs in IPL 2023, whilst Jacob Bethell is among England’s more talented youngsters, having scored two half-centuries in six T20I innings at a career strike rate of 167.96.
Pace is unlikely to be a cause of concern
Bowling has been RCB’s Achilles’ heel, but as far as pace is concerned, there are not any glaring concerns. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be back where it all started for him, and despite his age, has been bowling well for Uttar Pradesh in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Josh Hazlewood has not played in the IPL for a while, but not long ago, he took 20 wickets in a season for RCB at an average of just 18.85.
Weaknesses
Still lacking in spin
It seems Bangalore decided to do away with proven specialist spinners ever since the departure of Yuzvendra Chahal, for once again, their prime specialist spinner is going to be a rather inexperienced name – Suyash Sharma. The 21-year-old leggie barely got any opportunities for KKR last year, whilst his compatriot will be Krunal Pandya, who is far from being a wicket-taking threat, having scalped only 15 wickets in 29 matches over the last two seasons.
Seems Bengaluru have ditched the left
Moreover, Bangalore's batting unit lacks left-handers in the top-orders, which might prove to be a weakness teams will be willing to capitalise upon. Should they play Tim David over Jacob Bethell, there will not be a single left-hander in the top 6.
5. Kolkata Knight Riders
From the runner-up of IPL 2024 to the winner, we have a similar pattern in Kolkata Knight Riders’ case – the retention of Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy and Rinku Singh meant they already had the core of a title-winning team at their disposal. Despite spending Rs 23.75 crore of their Rs 51 crore purse on Venkatesh Iyer, the Knight Riders have assembled a redoubtable group of players yet again.
Squad
Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Anrich Nortje, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Vaibhav Arora, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Spencer Johnson, Luvnith Sisodia, Ajinkya Rahane, Anukul Roy, Moeen Ali, Umran Malik.
Playing XII
Strengths
Batting depth and middle-order versatility
Like Mumbai Indians, Kolkata bat very deep, with Harshit Rana – who has a century to his name in Ranji Trophy – batting as low as number 9. What also suits them is the versatility of their finishing trio, comprising Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh, with all of them being capable of floating around the batting order without losing efficacy.
Excellent spin division
The Knights’ spin strength was secured prior to the auction, but the addition of Mayank Markande will serve as an adequate backup option for the Narine-Chakaravarthy pairing.
Weaknesses
Pace unit loses its sheen
Although both Rana and Vaibhav Arora will be donning the purple and gold again, the Knights might not be as lethal as it was last season. The reason being their two options for the overseas pacer slot. Anrich Nortje, once among the world’s more feared pacers, has taken a nosedive recently in terms of his form, and conceded runs at an economy rate of 13+ last season. Spencer Johnson, the alternate option, was ineffective for Gujarat in IPL 2024.
Shreyas the captain might be replaced, but what about Shreyas the batter?
KKR have not been able to replace Shreyas Iyer. Indeed, either Venkatesh Iyer or Rinku Singh might do the captain’s role, and be successful at it, but there is no replacement for Shreyas Iyer the batter. Manish Pandey or Ajinkya Rahane will have to do the heavy lifting for
6. Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings were the richest among the ten teams at the auction table – which also meant they were the busiest. Fortunately for their success-starved fans, the management has not done injustice to their handsome purse of Rs 110.5 crore, and has been successful in crafting a team that could do wonders.
Squad
Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, Lockie Ferguson, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Kuldeep Sen, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlett, Pyla Avinash, Pravin Dubey.
Playing XII
Strengths
No sweat in batting
There are not many teams who might claim to have a better batting lineup than the Kings. Marco Jansen batting at number 9 speaks volumes about their depth, whilst the presence of Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis also highlight the experience among the ranks.
Finally, a wicket-taking spinner
Since Axar Patel’s departure, Punjab have been screaming for a wicket-taking spinner. They won’t anymore, for they have acquired the services of Yuzvendra Chahal – this league’s leading wicket-taker. Chahal will be supported by Harpreet Brar, who might not be efficacious when it comes to the wickets column, but will do well to contain the flow of runs. If that is not enough, there is always the option of asking Maxwell to roll his arms.
Weaknesses
Arshdeep might find himself isolated
Punjab used their RTM option on Arshdeep Singh, and justifiably so, but he might find himself stranded. His overseas partner Marco Jansen’s economy rate was 12.90 last season, whilst Indian options like Vyshak Vijaykumar and Yash Thakur’s economy rates in IPL are over 10.
No proven opening partner for Prabhsimran
The opening pair might be another area of distress for Punjab. Josh Inglis has never played in the IPL, and neither has 23-year-old Priyansh Arya, who was signed for Rs 3.80 crore.
7. Chennai Super Kings
Gauging Chennai Super Kings’ squad following an auction is an analyst’s nightmare – they might seem to be the most lacklustre team on paper, but could still lift the trophy in a few months. On this occasion, they appear to be not among the worst, but far from the best.
Squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, R. Ashwin, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rasheed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.
Playing XII
Strengths
Fortress might remain impregnable because of CSK's spin trio
Terms like ‘fortress’ run the risk of being used in overwhelming excess in cricket, but not when it comes to CSK and Chepauk. To capitalise on the spin-friendly surface of the MA Chidambaram Stadium, they have stacked their team with a menacing spin trio of Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
A revamped pace department
Pace bowling will not be a cause of concern for Chennai either. Khaleel Ahmed and Sam Curran are likely to open the bowling for them, with both doing well with the new ball. At the death, CSK will deploy their Sri Lankan asset, Matheesha Pathirana.
Weaknesses
Yet again, CSK rely on out-of-form batters
Chennai’s bowling will have to come good, for their batting unit does not look particularly daunting. The team will rely on Rahul Tripathi, who has not had a good IPL season since 2022, and Deepak Hooda, whose numbers in the last couple of seasons are rather dispiriting.
Who is the finisher barring MS Dhoni?
The team also lacks power-hitters at the death, barring the omnipresent MS Dhoni, who is unlikely to bat for more than two to three overs. The onus, in this case, will be on Jadeja.
8. Lucknow Super Giants
Considering they had only Rs 69 crore to spend and were looking to embrace a new approach under a new leader, Lucknow Super Giants did not fare poorly. That being said, they were not the most perspicacious in terms of squad balance.
Squad
Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Avesh Khan, Abdul Samad, Aryan Juyal, Akash Deep, Himmat Singh, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Arshin Kulkarni, Matthew Breetzke.
Probable XII
Strengths
All eggs in the batting basket
You will need just one glance at the LSG playing XII to spot four aeroplane emojis among the top five, and it is their biggest strength. Should at least two of these five fire in all matches, Lucknow might end up a lot higher than the position we have assigned them.
The brand RP17
The brand – that is Rishabh Pant. It has to be acknowledged that Pant is not – or, at least, has yet not – the same player in T20s as he is in Tests, a rather bizarre phenomenon considering his game appears to be tailormade for the shortest format. Yet, the presence of Indian cricket’s beloved ‘Spiderman’ will tick numerous boxes for Lucknow, both on and off the field.
Weaknesses
All-Indian Bowling Unit
The four aeroplane emojis in the top five also signify a glaring weakness for Lucknow, because it subsequently means they will have to trust an all-Indian bowling unit to do a commendable job for them in every match. The likes of Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi have the potential to do well, but do they have the consistency?
Unconvincing overseas backups
Lucknow are also low on overseas backups, having signed only six foreigners. Their bowling alternative Shamar Joseph looked out of his depth last season, and Matthew Breetzke will be playing in his debut campaign.
9. Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans are quite similar to Chennai Super Kings, in the sense that experts called their squad among the worst in IPL 2022, and they ended up winning the title. They do not seem to be a daunting unit this time either, and a lot will ride on their marquee players.
Squad
Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Manav Suthar, Washington Sundar, Gerald Coetzee, Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar, Sherfane Rutherford, Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Karim Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya.
Playing XII
Strengths
The best top 3 in the competition (barring SRH)?
Gujarat’s top three is arguably as good as any other’s, if not the very best in this competition. Captain Shubman Gill has not had a single season where he scored less than 400 runs since 2020, while Jos Buttler has been a consistent performer for Rajasthan Royals. Sai Sudharsan was GT’s best batter last season, scoring 527 runs.
Ashish Nehra and his knack for pacers
Ashish Nehra and his think tank spent heavily on the trait he possessed – pace bowling. As a result, Gujarat ended up signing Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, all of whom bring great value to the team. Should it be needed, they might play an additional overseas seamer in Gerald Coetzee.
Weaknesses
Shining top 3, but gloomy from there onwards
The batting unit lacks its glitter following the top three. Washington Sundar and Shahrukh Khan have not done anything of note in the IPL lately, while neither Glenn Phillips nor Sherfane Rutherford has had success in this competition. A lot, hence, will be dependent on the magic of Rahul Tewatia.
One-man show for Rashid on the cards?
Could spin be a cause of concern in a team that employs Rashid Khan? Indeed, it might be, for Rashid will be partnered by Washington Sundar, who has only 37 wickets to his name in 60 appearances, while Tewatia barely rolls his arm in IPL nowadays.
10. Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals’ situation is a disappointing one. They had one of the most well-rounded squads in the last cycle, made it to the playoffs twice and to the final once, only to not win it. Now, it seems they might return to their 2019-2021 rut, where they finished last once and second-last twice.
Squad
Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Nitish Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Rathore, Ashok Sharma.
Playing XII
Strength
Exemplary opening pair
Rajasthan’s biggest strength. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson have not only been outstanding for Rajasthan, but they have been in exemplary form in the Indian blue as well.
Complementary Sri Lankan spin twins
Rajasthan will feature two Sri Lankan spinners in their XII, who – when bowling in tandem – could prove to be effective. Maheesh Theekshana is expected to be economical, whilst Wanindu Hasaranga could pounce on every instance of the batters taking risks.
Weaknesses
Over-reliance on retained batters
Rajasthan will be heavily dependent on the retained batters to fire all cylinders, quite simply because they have not made any exciting additions in this department. Nitish Rana has not been in great touch for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket, whilst neither Shubham Dubey nor Kunal Rathod appears to be particularly reliable.
No depth in overseas department
The Royals bizarrely have signed only six overseas players, with both of their backups being pacers – Fazalhaq Farooqi and Kwena Maphaka. Should Hetmyer run into a rough patch, curtains might be called on their campaign.
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