Table of Contents
The upcoming auction of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is all set to take place on December 23 in Kochi. Ahead of the bidding event, 991 players have registered themselves to go under the hammer. But, with a squad limit of 25 players, only a maximum of 87 cricketers can earn contracts from the franchises, of which 30 could be overseas players.
Like every auction, teams will focus on picking quality all-rounders as they are always in demand due to their role. All-rounders often go for big money at IPL auctions, and Australian sensation Cameron Green will be a hot property at the mini-auction.
Green was already impressive with his bowling stint, and following his exploits with the bat in India earlier this year, it is likely that the swashbuckling Aussie all-rounder will trigger a bidding war amongst the IPL franchises.
Green registered his name in the mini-auction of the lucrative tournament at a base price of INR 2 crore. Although recent comments of Australian coach Andrew McDonald have made Green’s availability doubtful. But considering that the all-rounder will come to play in the IPL, let’s have a look at three teams who can bid for Green in the mini-auction.
Lucknow Super Giants
After releasing Jason Holder from their squad, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will undoubtedly look for an all-rounder, and Green could be an ideal choice. Notably, Holder did a good job with the ball for Lucknow but couldn’t leave his impact with the bat.
LSG have the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Deepak Hooda, and if the duo bat in the top order, then the KL Rahul-led side can try Green as the finisher – a role he has played well in ODIs and Tests but not in T20s yet.
SunRisers Hyderabad
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) need to rebuild their team from scratch and have a massive purse of INR 42.25 crore remaining. They have released their skipper Kane Williamson, finisher Nicholas Pooran and all-rounder Romario Shepherd. Since Green can bat in the top order, he will add immense balance to the team.
As an opener, Green has scored 61 (30 and 52 (21) against India before the T20 World Cup 2022. His strike rate of 214.55 in the series would be an eye-catching factor for all the franchises, including SRH, who had the worst strike rate in the powerplay in 2022, with 108.52.
Punjab Kings
Like the Sunrisers, Punjab Kings (PBKS) also got rid of quite a few players, including their skipper Mayank Agarwal, who had a terrible season with the bat and his leadership also raised many eyebrows. Ahead of the mini-auction, the Kings have handed over the reins to Shikhar Dhawan.
Since PBKS have released finisher Odean Smith, Green could well become their go-to man in the lower order as their top, and middle order is sorted with Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Liam Livingstone. With their INR 32.2 crore budget, signing Green could be a game-changer as that will allow PBKS to play an extra batter as well.
