IPL 2023: Will there be highest bid in auction history? Who are the players to watch? All you need to know

It's D-day and fans are excited to watch the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction, which is being held in Kochi on December 23 from 2.30 PM IST. 

This auction is a conventional one, as opposed to the massive one that was held before the 2022 season and required the 10 franchises to recreate their teams essentially from start.

How many players are in the auction?

The final list comprises 405 players instead of the original 991 players on the longlist: 273 from India and 132 from overseas, including four from Associate nations. 

Due to the limited number of slots available, only 87 players, 30 of whom may be foreigners, may be purchased during the auction.

Which team has the most and the least money to spend?

The greatest purse for the mini-auction belongs to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who released as many as 10 players - INR 42.25 crore. 

Although the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also made significant roster adjustments by releasing 11 players, they were active during the trading window and now have the smallest budget to spend, only INR 7.05 crore. The side traded in Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans (GT).

Will Australian and England players miss the IPL tournament at any point? What about other overseas players?

Despite the fact that the Ashes are set to start in the middle of June, the Australian and English players will be available for the full IPL season. Players from West Indies and New Zealand will also be accessible for the whole campaign. Players from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, meanwhile, would probably miss some of the tournament due to international obligations.

Who could fetch the highest bid at the auction? Could it break the record in IPL auction history?

Chris Morris of South Africa, an all-rounder, became the most expensive player in 2021 after being acquired by Rajasthan Royals for INR 16.25 crore.

Now, there are some players who could break this record, and the chances of Sam Curran being that are fairly high. He had become England's designated death bowler at the T20 World Cup 2022 and had even won the Player-of-the-Tournament award.

The other players who could go for a high bid would be England all-rounder Ben Stokes and Australia's Cameron Green. The high-profile players are in Set 2 at this auction.

Players from other countries that could attract a huge bid?

Josh Little, a left-arm quick for Ireland, recently claimed a hat-trick against New Zealand and has already had a taste of the IPL, having participated in their training camp in Surat in 2022 as a net bowler for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). 

Franchises may also be interested in signing UAE leg spinner Karthik Meiyappan, who recently played for Sharjah Warriors in the inaugural ILT20 and took a hat-trick during the T20 World Cup. The wrist-spinner also has experience bowling for CSK and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in net matches.

Indian names fans must keep an eye for?

Sanvir Singh, an all-rounder for Punjab, may be in demand, but N Jagadeesan of Tamil Nadu, who scored a record five consecutive hundreds in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, may also generate some buzz.

Fans should also keep an eye out for Yash Thakur, a quick bowler for Vidarbha, Akash Vasisht, a finisher for Himachal Pradesh, and his teammate Vaibhav Arora. Sharukh Dar and Mujtaba Yousuf, two young quicks from Jammu and Kashmir, may also be signed by a franchise.

Who are the youngest and oldest players at the auction?

The youngest is Afghanistan's Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, a mysterious spinner who is 15 years old. Ghazanfar has only played in three T20 matches so far, but he has already garnered the attention of franchise scouts. 

The oldest player in this auction is Amit Mishra, a former India leg spinner who turned 40 last month. He didn't sell at the 2022 auction, but given the recent shortage of wrist spinners from India, he might be able to return to the IPL.