TheIndian Premier League (IPL) auction held over the weekend at Bengaluru reflected financial heft and fresh hopes. That a league, domestic in spirit and international in flavour, can cope with two pandemic years and still remain economically robust is a pointer to its marketing viability and strong financial underpinnings. Nearly ₹552 crore, ₹551.7 crore to be precise, was spent by 10 franchises as they sought to bolster their squads with a bouquet of players with varied skill sets. Surely the IPL has come a long way since Adam Gilchrist admitted to feeling like a cow after the maiden auction ahead of the inaugural edition in 2008. Cut to the present, players kept a tab through live television and were quick to react through their social-media handles. With two new teams in the fray – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – and other squads in the rebuilding phase after retaining a few stars, it was not surprising that 204 players went under the hammer with 67 of them being overseas cricketers. Even the health crisis of original auctioneer Hugh Edmeades was tided over as his replacement Charu Sharma stepped up to the task well. Wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan snapped up at ₹15.25 crore by Mumbai Indians was the most expensive buy and at 23, the Jharkhand player is seen as someone who can replicate M.S. Dhoni’s template.
The auction also reflected team cultures with defending champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) buying back its erstwhile core members. The outfit got Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu and Robin Uthappa which is in sync with skipper Dhoni’s philosophy of having an established group. Mumbai Indians meanwhile spent ₹8 crore on injured England speedster Jofra Archer, seeing him as a long-term investment and a potent ally of Jasprit Bumrah. Some of India’s under-19 stars too found their moment under the sun but as many of their seniors would vouch, they remain a work in progress. Through its ‘performance-age-marketability-availability-economics’ matrix, the auction also serves as a ruthless mirror. That Suresh Raina, a bonafide CSK star, along with Steve Smith, Aaron Finch and Eoin Morgan, found no takers is instructive. Years ago, Brian Lara was overlooked as he was deemed old. The Board of Control for Cricket in India allowed the Ranji Trophy to suffer a break in the 2020-21 season citing the pandemic but moved mountains to get the IPL bandwagon run smoothly and it revealed how the league’s financial muscle has the last word. The Ranji Trophy is back for now while talk about a women’s IPL still remains a nascent exercise. And just as in the previous years, the absence of Pakistan cricketers from the IPL is a pointer to sport never being immune from diplomatic pressures.
