The Indian Premier League (IPL) started in 2007 and is usually contested between March and May. It was created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and features teams from eight states or cities in India to compete in this annual T20 form of cricket. It is a hugely popular spectator event and regularly features in the top 10 of the world’s best-attended sporting events. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was moved to the United Arab Emirates for the 2020 season but is usually held in India. The league is a franchise-based system where the governing body held an auction to sell off each franchise (team) to the highest bidder.
Format of the IPL
The initial stages of the tournament are played in the round-robin format. Consisting of at least eight teams, every side plays each other twice in the league, and the matches are held at the home and away grounds of the participating teams. After the league stage, the next four teams go through to the next round. The top two teams from the league play each other, with the winner progressing straight to the final. Various other playoff games are undertaken, and the eventual winner gains the title of IPL Champions. What is interesting about this particular tournament is that teams are given two and a half minutes time outs. These can be taken between the overs six to nine for the bowling team, and for the batting team, the time out can be taken between the 16th and 19th over. Also, teams are given the benefit of one TV review of an umpire’s decision per over.
IPL Auctions
The auctions held to decide the original teams are very lucrative, with the original franchises sold to Mohali, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi, and Jaipur (Rajasthan). However, what creates the most interest is the player’s auctions where cricketers are sold to the teams who bid the most for the players. Each year an annual auction is held where players offer their services and set their base price. This being the price they can be purchased for. Each squad can have between 18 and 25 players and what makes it more exciting is that the teams can include up to eight overseas cricketers.
So Indian cricket fans can watch the cream of Indian cricket and some of the best players in the world at that time. The total squad salary must not exceed 12 million US dollars, so you can see why many local and foreign players scramble to be part of the IPL auction. For a relatively short cricket tournament, the rewards can be impressive, and this does not take into account the available prize money for successful teams. The winning team gets 2.8 million US dollars, and the first two runners up receive 1.8 million dollars. The fourth team receives 1.2 million dollars. All prize money has to be shared equally with the players.
Notable Players From the 2020 IPL Auction
The Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins became the highest ever purchase, costing 1.6 million dollars for the Kolkata Night Riders. England captain Eoin Morgan was bought by the same team while Sam Curran, the English bowler, was acquired by Chennai Super Kings. Three other purchases were made for Glen Maxwell, the Australian superstar fast bowler, Sheldon Cottrell, the West Indies fast bowler, and Chris Morris of South Africa were also secured at the 2020 IPL auction in Kolkata. The Mumbai Indians were the IPL Champions for 2020.
IPL Players Auction for 2021
The 2021 IPL season is due to take place between 11.4.21 and 6.6.21, and the eagerly awaited player’s auction date is scheduled to be decided by the end of December 2000. It has been delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Australian Players Likely to Impact Upon IPL 2021
- Glen Maxwell: Although his performance in the 2020 IPL was disappointing, this Australian is one of the top-rated T20 cricketers in the world. He performed well against India in the limited-over format of the game and is sure to be in demand.
- Aaron Finch: This is another Australian cricketer who disappointed fans in the 2020 IPL, but his devastating form with the bat in the T20 series against India resulted in a batting average of 83.00. Another one to watch.
- Marcus Stoinis: Marcus had some great moments in the 2020 series, and this Australian all-rounder has match-winning qualities in abundance. The Dehli Capitals will be eager to have a successful bid since he cost $670,00 in the 2020 season.
Three Indian Cricketers Guaranteed to Be in the IPL 2021 Auction
- MS Dhoni: The captain of Chennai Super Kings from the IPL’s inception has confirmed he will play in the 2021 series. He scored 200 runs in the 2020 series and was the former Indian captain. Dhoni should open the batting for Chennai in 2021.
- Virat Kohli: This Indian superstar plays as captain for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. He scored 464 runs in the 2020 series and is the favorite to continue in the 2021 games.
- Rohit Sharma: Rohit is the captain of the Mumbai Indians and has been since 2013. Mumbai have won the tournament five times under his leadership and is one of the most successful players in the IPL. He scored 332 runs in the last event, and the betting is that he will continue in 2021.
Notable English Cricketers
- Ben Stokes: Ben is the English all-rounder that, on his day, is capable of winning any game. Excelling at bowling and batting, he is no doubt going to be included in the 2021 auction. Likely to be retained by Rajasthan.
- Jofra Archer: The English fast bowler who starred as the most valuable player in the UAE tournament is sure to be retained by Rajasthan. Although he would be welcome to join any of the other franchises due to his top-quality performances.
- Jos Butler: Although he had a mediocre performance in the 2020 series, he has shown his destructive batting prowess when playing for England. Another player likely to be retained by Rajasthan.
Players to Watch Out For
- Rishabh Pant: India
- Kagiso Rabada: India
- David Malwan: England
- Prithvi Shaw: India
- Andre Russell: West Indies
- Eoin Morgan: England
- Shubman Gill: India
- Shivam Mavi and
- Ruturaj Gaikwad: India
Summary
The IPL player’s auction creates worldwide interest each year with lucrative sponsorship and TV rights. It is one of the most expensive leagues globally. Due to its immense attraction and massive spectator participation, it is sure to be a winner in 2021.