New Delhi: Forty-three players will go under the hammer at the second IPL auction in Goa on Friday. It won't be quite as exciting as the first auction last year, but there are some exciting deals in the offing. The franchises have also started to plan ahead for the tournament itself.
Kevin Pietersen may have lost his job as England captain but he still commands a price tag of a cool $1.35 million. And sources say Vijay Mallya's Bangalore Royal Challengers are the front-runners to bag him. Continue reading below
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is another one in the "must-have" category. The Chennai Super Kings and the Kings XI Punjab are said to be the front-runners to nab him.
Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke is pegged at $1 million, although uncertainty remains over whether the Aussies will show up at all.
"There has been a lot made about the IPL and we might have one week after Pakistan in Abu Dhabi or wherever it may be," Australian skipper Ricky Ponting had recently said. "I think we need to worry about the international programme before we worry about the IPL. The important thing for me is prioritising and making sure we have all the players that are taking part in those big Test series are fit and ready to go."
While the Aussies may or may not come, the Pakistanis definitely aren't. That will impact some teams more than others. Rajasthan Royals, for instance, will have to do without last year's bowler of the series, Sohail Tanvir.
"Pakistani players not turning out for this season is disappointing," said Rajasthan Royals chairman Majoj Badale. "I don't think it's just a disappointment for the Royals, but both for Pakistan and India. By doing this, we are letting the terrorists achieve their goals. It's a real shame."
Kolkata Knight Riders is the other team who will need to re-draw plans. Although they have let Shoaib Akhtar go, in Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez and most importantly Umar Gul, the Knight Riders will lose important players.
"If you look at it, we had already heard that Pakistan and Australia were going to be playing for about 20 days last year," said Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya. "So mentally to an extent we were already prepared over the limited availability of Pakistanis and Australians."
But with South African, Kiwi, West Indian and Sri Lankan players available for virtually the whole tournament, the IPL won't be short of star value.
