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11 months ago
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When it comes to Indian Premier League auctions, it’s all about timing, so expect Harry Brook and Phil Salt to be among the big winners on Tuesday.
The pair go under the hammer in Dubai with their batting heroics of the weekend still fresh in the mind, and as Sam Curran will testify, being a man of the moment can help fetch a princely sum.
Last year, Curran’s claiming of the player of the tournament award at the Twenty20 World Cup a matter of weeks earlier catalysed a bidding frenzy that saw him become the costliest lot in the history of the competition at £1.85million-a-season.
Yorkshire batter Brook wasn’t too far behind at £1.325m, but has since been released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, following a debut season in which he struck an unbeaten hundred but then mustered a measly 90 runs across his other 10 innings, meaning that he heads back into the pot for one of 33 available overseas spots in the 2024 tournament.
The 24-year-old pitched a perfect reminder of his talents last weekend, however, when blasting an unbeaten 31 off just seven deliveries, equalling the most runs from a final over to complete a T20 international chase (21) in the process, after Salt set things up with a scintillating unbeaten 109, from 57 balls.
Harry Brook could become an overnight millionaire in Tuesday's IPL auction
Phil Salt could also land a mega deal after scoring a sensational hunded on Saturday
Sam Curran was the most expensive player in last year's auction after leading England to World Cup glory
The pair have set their reserve prices for £200,000 and £150,000 respectively, while others on the current tour of West Indies likely to drum up interest are wrist-spinners Adil Rashid, who is alongside Brook at £200,000, and Rehan Ahmed, who goes in at £50,000.
Several of England’s touring party already have deals for 2024, including Jos Buttler (Rajasthan), Liam Livingstone and Curran (both Punjab Kings), Reece Topley and Will Jacks (both Bangalore), and Moeen Ali (Chennai) there has been some ribbing amongst the squad that Brook’s Yorkshireness will lead to him setting an alarm for the early hours to see what money he will earn.
However, that will be a reality for England’s white-ball analyst Freddie Wilde, who combines his role with working for Royal Challengers Bangalore, where Mo Bobat is the new director of cricket and Andy Flower the recently arrived head coach.
For those in the UK, things get under way in Dubai at a more manageable 7.30am, when Mallika Sagar, the IPL’s first female auctioneer for the men’s event, gets proceedings under way. Sagar, a Mumbai-based specialist in modern art, has conducted the auctions of the Women’s Premier League and replaces Brit Hugh Eadmeades, the regular gavel master.
England captain Jos Buttler already has a deal despite enduring a difficult few months of form
Multiple English cricketers have become overnight millionaires on previous auction days - including Tymal Mills and Livingstone - stretching back to the 2009 tour of the Caribbean when, with the IPL in its infancy, Andrew Flintoff, now an England assistant coach, and Kevin Pietersen were two of the hot picks.
In those days, the IPL was viewed suspiciously by administrators at Lord’s, but its status as a magnet for the world’s best short-form talent has made it an increasingly important vehicle for developing both upcoming and established internationals.
Courtesy of an established two-month IPL window, there is no longer a clash with international cricket, relieving any tension between leading players and the ECB and lessening the need for players to choose between a franchise life and one that includes Test cricket.
Andrew Flintoff, who is now one of England's assistant coaches, was one of the IPL's hot picks during the tournament's infancy
Joe Root and Ben Stokes have both opted out of the 2024 competition to manage their schedule
There are exceptions of course. Ben Stokes and Joe Root have both swerved the auction of their own volition, to concentrate on being fit and in form for England’s Test commitments while the ECB have exercised their right as his primary employers to take full control of Jofra Archer’s schedule ahead of June’s Twenty20 World Cup defence.
In total, 25 English players will be available on Tuesday, hoping to join the nine of their compatriots retained ahead of the 17th season of Twenty20 cricket’s premier franchise competition.
It is hard to think Brook and Salt will not be among whatever number make it, but from a global perspective, Australian stars Mitchell Starc and Travis Head, and emerging New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra could draw the biggest bids.
Despite being stocked with stats men, the 10 franchises have form for being intoxicated by World Cup displays, as with Curran 12 months ago, and insiders reckon that trio made the largest impressions while on the subcontinent for the 50-over tournament that concluded last month.
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