The Auction for the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is just a day away with the bidding war scheduled to happen on December 23 in Kochi. As all the teams would have already prepared their strategy for the mini-auction on Friday, it would be interesting to see which domestic talent the teams go for.
It is not a secret anymore that each franchise sends a talent scout to all the domestic matches and shortlists a few players who they can pick at the auction. Here in this article, we will have a look at a few uncapped Indian players who have tasted phenomenal success in the domestic season and might attract bids from the franchises when his name is announced at the auctions.
1. Narayan Jagadeesan
For those closely following the Indian Premier League, Narayan Jagadeesan is a familiar name. The wicketkeeper batter has played for the Chennai Super Kings in the bat but couldn't get an extended run owing to captain MS Dhoni who is the preferred keeping option. Moreover, his reputation as a batting anchor didn't help his cause either as the team dynamics wanted a more explosive option. But Jagadeesan has worked hard to not let that reputation bog him down.
He scored five back to back centuries in List A cricket- a world record he achieved during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In addition, he has taken that form into other forms of the game as well and with many teams looking for a wicketkeeper-batter option, like the Gujarat Titans, he could certainly attract bids at the auction.
2. Mukesh Kumar
Another player who can certainly ignite a bidding war at the auction in Kochi is Mukesh Kumar. The fast bowler from Bengal has been part of successive India A series and has left everyone impressed with his skill and accuracy. He was even named in India's ODI squad for the home series against South Africa when the senior players were in Australia for the T20 World Cup. His journey though hasn't been like the other modern day cricketers who tend to get a national call up based on their performances in the IPL but in his case it has been through consistent performances in domestic cricket. This time around he is likely to get a team in the tournament and a good performance will surely help him get closer to that India cap.
3. Akash Vasisht
Akash Vasisht can be a real game changer for teams looking for a left-handed big-hitter in their ranks. He played a crucial role in Himachal Pradesh's journey to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final and certainly would have grabbed the attention of a few scouts in search for an uncapped domestic talent who can nurture as full furnished exciting cricket ready to explode at the world stage in their setup. He was the team's highest run-getter in the competition, that too after he batted lower down the order. In addition, he can also chip in with a few overs of left-arm spin if the need arises. Certainly a player to watch out for at the auction.
4. Shivam Mavi
Despite not being in the best of forms last season, Shivam Mavi is likely to attract bids at the IPL 2023 mini-auction in Kochi. The reason being his sheer talent, his ability to consistently click 140 kmph and get the new ball to swing which makes him a great package. Moreover he is just 24-years-old and yet has had a fair bit of experience playing in the IPL and leading the pace attack for his domestic side Uttar Pradesh. As he plays more and more matches, he is bound the get better as a bowler. The only thing that can prevent teams to go for him is his injury laden career so far which he would need to work upon.