Which is the strongest team in IPL 2024? Cricket fans rate franchises after exciting auction
As we approach the IPL 2024 season, let's delve into how each team has shaped up following the intense eight-hour auction session in Dubai on Tuesday and also look at what fans had to say about which team is likely to win the coveted title.
 )
FollowIn Tuesday's mini-auction held in Dubai, a total of 72 players secured fresh contracts for the Indian Premier League (IPL), with the 10 participating teams collectively spending Rs 230.45 crore. Standouts included Australian veteran fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who earned a record-breaking Rs 24.75 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders, while his compatriot Pat Cummins bagged a whopping Rs 20.50 crore from Sunrisers Hyderabad. The IPL 2024 auction also saw substantial deals for players such as New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra, Australia's Travis Head, South Africa's all-rounder Gerald Coetzee, and Sri Lanka's quick bowler Dilshan Madushanka. Additionally, uncapped Indian players like Sameer Rizvi, Kumar Kushagra, and Shubham Dubey witnessed significant financial gains, further underlining the competitive nature of the IPL auction.
As we approach the IPL 2024 season, let's delve into how each team has shaped up following the intense eight-hour auction session in Dubai.
Chennai Super Kings
Faced with the crucial task of finding a replacement for Ben Stokes, the team aggressively pursued Pat Cummins, even bidding as high as Rs 7.6 crore. However, they ultimately secured the services of New Zealand all-rounders Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra. Mitchell, known for his explosive batting, particularly demonstrated in his two World Cup centuries against India, aligns well with the requirements of Chepauk, as acknowledged by head coach Stephen Fleming. Meanwhile, Rachin Ravindra could serve as a valuable backup for Moeen Ali, who faced a dip in form in the last season. In addition to retaining bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, Chennai also added Mustafizur Rahman to their roster, a bowler well-suited for the challenging conditions with his effective cutters.
CSK addressed the need for a replacement for Ambati Rayudu by opting for a strategic approach. Despite the anticipation that the five-time champions would pursue experienced Indian batsmen like Karun Nair and Manish Pandey, they made a shrewd move by selecting the 20-year-old uncapped Indian Sameer Rizvi. Rizvi had made a significant impact in the UP T20 league earlier in the year, amassing 455 runs in nine innings. His impressive performance included two centuries, and he maintained an outstanding strike rate of 188.8.
Mumbai Indians
Examining their pace-bowling arsenal, apart from Jasprit Bumrah and Jason Behrendorff, the team has bolstered its options with Sri Lanka's left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka, a standout performer in the World Cup, and South Africa's all-rounder Gerald Coetzee, known for his batting prowess lower down the order. Adding to the mix, they surprised many by acquiring Nuwan Thushara from Sri Lanka, often likened to the legendary Lasith Malinga. However, their shortcoming lay in not aggressively pursuing an overseas spinner to complement Piyush Chawla. Nonetheless, they secured the services of Shreyas Gopal.
Gujarat Titans
While finding a direct replacement for Hardik Pandya proved challenging, the newly-introduced Impact Player rule offers a means to fill that void for the team. In a strategic move, they secured Azmatullah Omarzai at an uncontested price, recognizing his standout performances for Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup. Gujarat, with a considerable budget, initially pursued Mitchell Starc aggressively but eventually stepped back, allowing Kolkata Knight Riders to secure him for a record fee of 24.75 crores. Although Starc could have been a suitable replacement for Joshua Little, the Titans opted for another Australian, the uncapped left-arm seamer Spencer Johnson. They also addressed the need for backup options for Mohammed Shami by bringing in the experienced Umesh Yadav and the young Kartik Tyagi. Adding a power-hitting option to their middle-order, they acquired Shahrukh Khan, who now also provides a spin-bowling dimension. However, the 2022 champions fell short in securing a suitable replacement for Wriddhiman Saha.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Assessing their performance at the auction, their acquisitions on Tuesday have created a pleasant predicament concerning their four overseas slots. However, the team lacks a robust leadership core, despite the addition of Australia's ODI World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins, secured with a substantial bid of Rs 20.5 crore. Cummins joins the existing leadership group comprising Aiden Markram, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mayank Agarwal. The addition of Travis Head aims to address their struggles in the initial phases of matches, while the inclusion of Wanindu Hasaranga stands out as an exceptional and economical deal. As they head into the 2024 season, SRH boasts an almost complete XI to rely upon.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Despite splurging a staggering Rs 24.75 crore on Mitchell Starc, their second acquisition following Chetan Sakariya, KKR showcased astuteness in securing valuable backup players during the auction. The addition of Mujeeb Ur Rahman for Sunil Narine, KS Bharat for Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Sherfane Rutherford for Andre Russell demonstrated strategic planning. A late addition to their squad, Gus Atkinson, an English right-arm pace bowler, aims to provide additional depth to their bowling lineup. However, Kolkata's shortfall was evident in their approach to batting depth. While their signings indicate a significant reliance on Gurbaz as an opener, they will have to place trust in the unproven abilities of Ramandeep Singh at No. 7. Singh exhibited promise by scoring 77 runs in 36 balls at a strike rate of over 200 across three innings at that position and lower during the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Their trade involving all-rounder Cameron Green left them exposed in their pursuit of both Cummins and Starc. Evidently desperate, as seen in their Rs 20.25 crore bid for Cummins despite having a purse of Rs 23.15 crore, they likely refrained from raising their paddle for Starc. Despite securing Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Tom Curran, and Yash Dayal, none emerged as an ideal replacement for the death-over specialist Harshal Patel. The team also fell short in finding a substitute for Hasaranga, leaving their bowling unit vulnerable and incomplete.
Lucknow Super Giants
Given their financial limitations, competing in a high-profile auction against the likes of CSK, SRH, and Gujarat, all boasting purses north of INR 30 crore, was never a realistic possibility. Acquiring Paddikal through trade emerged as a favorable option, particularly as it allows KL Rahul to pursue his middle-order batting aspirations. However, the team faces a significant concern in the absence of experienced Indian pace options, placing the majority of their expectations on Mark Wood.
Delhi Capitals
The recent auction has made it evident that if Rishabh Pant is available, he will be exclusively playing as a batter. Delhi secured a total of five wicketkeepers in the auction – two overseas players, Tristan Stubbs and Shai Hope, and three Indian uncapped talents in Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, and Sumit Kumar. Additionally, they brought in Harry Brook to bolster their batting lineup, hoping for an improved performance compared to his last season with SRH. DC also secured Jhye Richardson as a backup for the recovering Anrich Nortje. However, Delhi seems to lack batting depth, and their reliance on Prithvi Shaw is evident, with no backup Indian openers in their squad.
Punjab Kings
The conclusion of the auction, particularly the attempted purchase and subsequent withdrawal of Shashank Singh, left a bitter taste for PBKS. Despite adding Harshal Patel to their squad and reinforcing their pace lineup with Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh, the team faced challenges. In the latter part of the auction, they secured Rilee Rossouw and Chris Woakes as backup options. However, the significant miss for them was failing to reacquire Shahrukh Khan, a decision that seemed questionable given his impactful performances in the previous season. While they pursued the uncapped Indian star aggressively, it appeared they were unwilling to exceed the previous season's price for Shahrukh. Ironically, they went all-in on Rossouw, who might not secure as many first-XI opportunities compared to the Tamil Nadu batter, who would have been a certain first-choice pick.
Following the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai, cricket enthusiasts picked which team is the strongest on paper and shared their view on which franchise has a good chance of lifting the coveted title. Taking to X, several fans noted that CSK and MI continue to be strong contenders for the title, while some noted that SRH have a strong chance as well this season. Meanwhile, majority of them believed that RCB were the biggest losers of the auction and don't stand a chance to win the title this season as well.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.
