Will it be Dhoni in Pune or Ashwin in Rajkot? Who will get hold of McCullum and Smith? Exciting players' draft on December 15 will put an end to all speculations.
The next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be held from April 9 as two new franchisees— Rajkot and Pune—were added to the event as replacements for Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
The tournament will begin five days after the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 which will also be hosted by India. The ninth edition of the hugely popular but controversy-marred League will conclude on May 29.
Five players from each of the suspended teams will be available for the Rajkot and Pune franchises via a players' draft while the remaining players from the Super Kings and Royals will go into the IPL auction that will be held in February.
The first capped player will be paid 12.5 crores while the remaining four capped players will get Rs 9.5 crore, Rs 7.5 crore, Rs 5.5 crore, and Rs 4 crore. Whereas for any uncapped player it will be Rs 4 crore.
Pune will select the first player from the draft as they had managed to bid lowest in the auction (Rs 10 crore). Rajkot (Rs 16 crore) will get the next shot.
Let's find out which are the ten cricketers likely to be in the midst of action when the player draft takes place on December 15.
1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Easily one of the best players of the league based format, Dhoni will most likely be snapped up by the Pune franchise at the first shot.
Having the Indian ODI captain in your team guarantees you a trusted leader, a more than effective wicket-keeper and the best finisher of the game.
The most successful Indian captain's sojourn in the T20 arena is also enviable— a World Cup, two IPLs, two Champions Leagues.
This is why Bansal group, the owner of the Rajkot franchise will curse their luck for being unable to place the lowest bid.
2. Ravichandran Ashwin
The off-spinner can be considered one the best bowlers of the world at this point of time and his display in the series against South Africa proves his capacity to be a 'one man army'.
The fact that Ashwin has risen to pole position in Test all-rounders' rankings underlines his mettle with the willow and he can come in handy lower down the order.
After Dhoni, Ashwin is most likely to get maximum attention as along with a match-winner, the franchise which will buy him will get an Indian bowler who has the ability to take apart batsmen with aplomb.
3. Steve Smith
The signs were there for everyone to see when the current Aussie skipper was handpicked by Sourav Ganguly for Pune Warriors in IPL V. Those were the days when Smith's bowling acumen was at par with his batting. But Dada didn't ask him to bowl a single spell all throughout the tourney, instead gave him the opportunity to bat at important slots. Result? He emerged as one of the stars of the season and got back his place in the Australian team.
Three years down the line Smith has achieved everything that was there for him to achieve. He leapfrogged the likes of David Warner and Shane Watson to the captain's throne and established himself as one of the premier batsmen of the world.
Smith would have got a humungous amount had he been auctioned, but nonetheless he will be a star attraction in the players draft.
4. Ajinkya Rahane
The Mumbai lad surely has to be one of the most underrated players of the Indian team. But whenever the team needs him, he puts his hand up and performs, that too across all formats.
The right-hander bloomed under the guidance of his childhood hero Rahul Dravid at Rajasthan Royals and was instrumental in the blue brigade's success in the recent years.
A handy opener, a tremendous fielder and on top of that a team man are the qualities which you would get from Rahane. He will definitely be a great buy.
5. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has been unleashing the 'sir' in him ever since he was dropped from the national squad few months ago. He didn't let frustration get the better of him, instead went back to Ranji circuit, took 37 wickets in four matches, got selected for the South Africa series and the rest is history.
The Rajkot franchise has expressed their interest for the hometown cricketer and why not? After all 'Jaddu' was the one who attracted the highest bid in the 2012 auctions when the players of the now defunct Kochi Tuskers were sold off.
6. Brendon McCullum
The name speaks volumes and his contribution to Kiwi cricket reaffirms that fact that McCullum is one of the most complete players of the game.
That is why Dhoni had vetoed for his selection in the Chennai Super Kings squad during 2012 auctions.
The Kiwi skipper repaid Mahi by constantly churning up important partnerships with Dwayne Smith at the top of the order.
A wicket-keeper who is as good a fielder and a destructive bat at any position, McCullum will be the cynosure of all eyes.
7. Suresh Raina
The highest run-getter in IPL history and the first man from India to score hundreds in all formats of the game is the next hot property in line.
The UP wizard may be a little low on confidence considering the paucity of runs in recent times, but there can be no denying the fact that the southpaw is one of the safest bets when it comes to the shorter formats of the game.
Add to that his ability to bowl part-time off-spin and Raina becomes the man that every team wants.
8. James Faulkner
Who can forget those towering sixes from the 6 feet 1 inch Tasmanian? The left-arm pacer has single-handedly won numerous matches for Australia.
The greatest ability of the Aussie is his versatility. He can open the bowling, come in the death overs and to top it off, use his long handle to great effect.
Faulkner has been one of the linchpins of Rajasthan ever since he joined them in 2013, whose all-round capabilities makes him a top buy.
9. Karun Nair
In 2014, Nair first burst on the big stage while playing for Rajasthan Royals, taking everybody by surprise with a 70-run innings from 50 balls against Delhi Daredevils.
He hasn't looked back since. A record-breaking triple ton for Karnataka in the 2014-15 final versus Tamil Nadu etched his name in the domestic folklore.
Nair has gone from strength to strength since then. A brilliant match-saving ton against South A this year, even earned him a place in the Indian Test squad for Sri Lanka.
The right-hander will be the most sought player amongst the uncapped cricketers in the fray.
10. Stuart Binny
Still unable to find a firm footing in international cricket, Binny comes to his own when he plays in IPL. He is much like Faulkner who dons the all-rounders' hat, sending down gentle seamers and comes down the order to finish a match.
It is his stellar performances for Royals that gave Binny a chance to play for India and he would love to return to the franchisee-based league once more to restore his claim for a permanent spot in the national outfit.
He has matured a little late but as the saying goes 'better late than never.'
Related Read: Chennai Bromance ends: Dhoni and Raina's erstwhile bonding takes a hit due to IPL players' draft
Related Read: IPL: Here is the full list of 50 players for the draft
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