IPL 2024 Auction Update: 333 Players Make the Shortlist with Focus on Rachin Ravindra and Australian Talents

At the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai on December 19, from an initial pool of 1,166 players, 333 have been shortlisted for bidding. High expectations surround World Cup champions Travis Head, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc in their respective categories of capped batters and bowlers. New Zealand’s all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, with a starting bid of INR 50 lakh, is also anticipated to draw significant interest.

The final list includes 119 international players, with two from associate nations: the Netherlands’ fast bowler Paul van Meekeren and Namibian all-rounder David Wiese. Prominent Indian players like Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Manish Pandey, and Umesh Yadav feature in the capped category.

The auction, beginning at 2:30 PM IST, will proceed through categories of capped batters, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, pacers, and spinners, followed by uncapped players in the same order.

England’s Harry Brook, who previously fetched INR 13.25 crores from SunRisers Hyderabad but was released following a modest IPL debut season, is among the capped batters. Travis Head, returning to the auction after seven seasons, is expected to command high bids due to his recent World Cup and WTC Final performances.

Additionally, several Afghan players are in the spotlight, notably seam-bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, priced at INR 50 lakh. Omarzai was Afghanistan’s top scorer and took seven wickets in recent matches. The auction will also feature the youngest player, 16-year-old fast bowler Allah Ghazanfar.