Tahir, Ishant, Stokes, Rashid: IPL Auction’s Unexplained Mysteries

World’s number 1 T20 bowler goes unsold but an 18-year-old Afghan bowler was bought for Rs 4 crores.

There’s always a lot of buzz around the annual IPL Player Auction, no reason why this year’s edition would disappoint.

And as always, there were several tales that emerged from the Monday in Bangalore; some international stars bagged possibly more than they’d have themselves expected and rookies earned pay packages that would have done justice to most international cricketers. There was also heartbreak for a few cricketers, who, despite their reputation and their impressive performances on the field, went unsold.

At the end of nearly six hours of bidding, 66 players were sold – for salaries ranging between the minimum base price of INR 10 Lac and the highest sold price of INR 14.5 crore.

Stokes Hit a Jackpot

The highlight of the day – or the bid that blew the roof over - had to be the battle to secure the services of Ben Stokes, who was eventually bagged by Rising Pune Supergiant.

Stokes’ salary of INR 14.5 crore makes him the the second-most-expensive player to be sold at the IPL Auction.

The 25-year old is now also the most-expensive overseas buy in the IPL; the previous most record was held by Shane Watson, who in 2016 was signed up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a salary of INR 9.5 Crore.

Just to put Stokes’ salary in perspective, he will be earning INR 14.5 Crore for his appearance in the IPL – which will run for a period of 47 days; this is more than twice what he has earned through match fees playing international cricket for England.

Stokes is a player who always wants to be in the thick of things and can make things happen. But if one were to look at him impartially and logically, the price at which Rising Pune Supergiant bagged his services is possibly a little too steep.

It is highly unlikely that he will bat in the top four, and can therefore only play cameos with the bat. With the ball, he is not a sure-shot four-over bowler; he has bowled a fourth over in only 15 of the 49 T20 matches he has bowled in. Overall too, his economy rate of 8.60 in T20s isn’t inspiring. But all the hype created in the days leading up to the event, which resulted in him being the most-sought after player, meant that market forces resulted in him taking home a huge pay check.

RCB Cut a Big Check for Mills

The second-biggest buy of the day was the England fast bowler Tymal Mills. Yet again, this was the result of all the hype around the man and the demand among the teams. An outright fast bowler is a rare commodity these days. More so a thinking fast bowler, one who has several tricks up his sleeve, and one who excels in the death overs. Tymal Mills is all that.

He is a T20 specialist too and can give his 100% every single time he runs in knowing he only has to bowl four overs in a match. Mills was also just the kind of bowler Royal Challengers Bangalore needed after they had to release Mitchell Starc on the eve of the auction. Despite the market forces being at play, RCB had the funds to go after him aggressively and secured his services.

RCB had a very frail-looking fast-bowling attack before the auction; by securing the services of Mills, they have added more muscle and plenty of experience to their attack.

Ignored Tahir vs 4-Crore-Rashid

It was thought that Imran Tahir’s wicket-taking ability, together with his new-found status as the top-ranked bowler in the ICC’s rankings for ODIs & T20Is would land the leg-spinner a huge pay check. However, a lot of eyebrows were raised – particularly outside the auction arena - when not one franchise put up a bid for him at the Auction.

Questions have been asked why then was Afghan 18-year-old Rashid Khan signed for INR 4 Crore, when both he and Tahir had the same base price of INR 50 Lacs.

Tahir not being signed should not come as a surprise. Barring the Gujarat Lions and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the rest of the teams had at least one leg-spinner in their ranks and had a fairly good idea of their first-choice XI. Secondly, there were questions over Tahir’s availability for the entire season, for he could be chosen in South Africa’s Test squad for the tour of England. Thirdly, no franchise would want a 37-year old warming the benches. And finally, Tahir isn’t someone who can contribute too much with the bat.

In signing Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, Sunrisers Hyderabad have actually made a wise investment. And it is not for sentimental reasons only. Rashid is an exciting all-rounder; he is a wicket-taking leg-spinner, a canny bowler and is capable of hitting a few out of the park too.

Few reputed batsmen he dismissed in T20s: Shakib-al-Hasan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ben Stokes, Shahid Afridi.

Also, at 18 years of age, he is an investment; Rashid will only get better at his trade by picking the brains of Muttiah Muralitharan (SRH Bowling Coach), or by bowling to the likes of David Warner, Kane Williamson or Yuvraj Singh in the nets.

Commercially too, the signing of Rashid Khan is a brilliant decision, for it takes the IPL and SRH brand to newer audiences in Afghanistan.

Franchises Give Ishant, Irfan a Miss

Two big India internationals didn’t find any takers on Auction day. Ishant Sharma, who currently holds a central contract with the BCCI and is one of the regulars in India’s Test team, didn’t attract a bid. And it isn’t surprising.

Ishant’s numbers in T20 cricket aren’t flattering and he has only played a handful of T20 matches in the last twelve months, with nothing spectacular to show for in those matches.

In these circumstances, Ishant was always going to miss the bus the moment he parked himself with a base price of INR 2 Crore. Franchises have over the years become smarter and shrewder in their purchasing at the auction. There were times when franchises would be influenced by sentiment and would want to have an “India player” in their ranks. Not anymore.

So too with Irfan Pathan, who despite his reasonable showing in the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 competition didn’t find any takers. There’s no denying Irfan Pathan is leaner and fitter now. But he is primarily a rhythm bowler – as against a specialist quick bowler or a specialist death overs bowler - and still largely dependent on conditions.