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The mega auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. As many as 590 players will go under the hammer in the two-day long event ahead of the 2022 edition, which also sees the addition of two new franchises – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants.
370 players from India have made into the final list for the auction that also includes the members of the Indian U-19 team which lifted the ICC Cricket World Cup earlier this month. The Yash Dhull-led side defeated England by 4 wickets in the summit clash to seal their fifth World Cup title – most by any side at the U-19 level.
But, eight players from India’s U-19 World Cup 2022-winning squad won’t feature in the upcoming IPL mega auction. This is because they don’t fulfil the criteria set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Only those players who have featured in at least one First-Class or List A game were eligible to register for the auction.
Also, the players who have no experience of domestic cricket should be 19-years-old to be eligible for the auction.
India’s U-19 vice-captain Shaik Rasheed, left-arm pacer Ravi Kumar, all-rounders Nishant Sindhu and Siddarth Yadav, opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi, wicket-keeper Dinesh Bana, Manav Parakh and Garv Sangwan are the players who doesn’t fulfil the required criteria of IPL auction.
‘Some U19 boys could become crorepatis’: Sunil Gavaskar
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, meanwhile, has urged the IPL franchises to tread with caution when it comes to the U-19 players.
“The mega auction will happen over the weekend and some of our Under-19 boys could become crorepatis in a few blinks of the eye,” the Little Master wrote in his column for Mid-day.
“Doing well at the under-19 level doesn’t guarantee success at the IPL or even international level as has been seen over the years. The difference in standards is huge.”
Gavaskar also suggested the IPL Governing Council to put a ₹1 crore limit on the U-19 players so they don’t get carried away.
“Far too many get carried away and lose focus and are out of the game or seek the mirage of greener-looking pastures. The fair thing would be to put a limit of say R1 crore for uncapped players so that they know that to go further and earn more they have a lot of hard work ahead,” he added.
“Easy money has spoilt many a promising talent and that’s something the administrators can prevent by ensuring that an uncapped player remains eager to keep performing year after year and not fall by the wayside as so many have done in the past,” concluded Gavaskar.
