An auction of a different type here. Pretty surprised with Punjab's strategy here- they actually did well and have a squad that looks good on paper(might be a first after a long long time).
The only disappointing sale for me- Rajwardhan Hangarkegar-poor guy- career over! CSK's (read Dhoni)reluctance to play newbies, is baflfing enough- pretty sure he is going to warm the benches the entire season.
Ever since I saw him in U-19, I knew he was one for the future. Was surprised he didnt get many chances until now.
He was tremendous! I know some people had issues with his reluctance to keep things moving, but he did mention that this was in the interest of the players that he wanted to get them the best possible prices.
He also brought in some entertainment to his work.
Humourous, definitely! But, I felt Charu gave too much time to teams. Understand it was his intention that players get the best deal, however, he seemed to focus on certain IPL franchisees, which wouldn' have gone down too well with many.
Best Deal of the Auction:
Rassie van der Dussen. I think RR picked some great names- smart picks and I feel they could very well be a title contender here.
Best Team of the Auction:
Mumbai- they started weirdly, but they got the right picks. They got back their core, they have some names for the future( sure starters in the XI) and might possibly be a force to reckon with for at least 3 years.
Worst Deal of the Auction:
Rahul Tewatia- You cannot pick a player based on 1 lone outing in the IPL. Tewatia has done nothing of value post that innings.
Worst Team of the Auction:
Jointly- Gujarat and CSK. Gujarat didnt seem to have a clue on their overall strategy. They left the keepers until the very end( okay, could have been strategic); the picks of Tewatia, Aaron, Miller and Vijaya Shankar leave much to be desired here. CSK- one may argue they got back the core- but it is an ageing core. Bit surprised they left out Raina in the scheme of things.After splurging on Chahar, they went after some 'okay' picks. Conway, Dube, Deshpande? Seriously! The rest are simply fillers- likes of Jagadeeshan, really pity him- hardly gets chances at the franchisee( hope to not see another Baba Aparajith here)
Captaincy Picks:
This is majorly directed at KKR, RCB & PBKS who were on the lookout for captains. I think these teams have done well in terms of picking their squads and also have a few options to look at here. Shreyas Iyer- most certainly will lead KKR. Expect Rana/Rahane to act as deputy here.
RCB- It will be a toss up between Faf and DK. My bet is firmly on DK cause he will most likely play every game as the lead keeper. Faf as captain is not a bad option, but remember this is the first season after a mega auction. Teams will need time to get their footing right.
PBKS- Mayank Agarwal is their best bet. I wouldnt be surprised though if they want to look at Bairstow. However, anyone other than these 2 means Punjab will be acting like Punjab.
