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Predicting where the big-name Aussies will end up in the IPL

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Roar Guru
3rd February, 2022
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With the IPL going back to a ten-team tournament after 11 years, the 15th edition of the franchise tournament will gain the attraction that Sourav Ganguly and the BCCI will have been craving.

The IPL will have a mega auction, with 590 players set to go under the hammer on February 12 and 13. Forty-seven Australians are named in the auction list and here are the names I believe will be bought in the auction.

Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Marcus Stoinis (Lucknow Super Giants) were the Aussies retained in the IPL before the 2022 auction.

Glenn Maxwell

(Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)

David Warner
It’s insane how Warner was treated by Sunrisers Hyderabad last IPL considering how Warner kept Hyderabad as a relevant franchise after a few years of struggle.

His exploits at the T20 World Cup showed that Warner is still the man in T20 cricket. Add in his CV as skipper in the IPL and there will be many franchises hounding him during the auction.

Ultimately, it’ll be a shootout between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Both franchises will want a reliable, foreign, top-order bat in their squad.

Although Kolkata will need a skipper and may come up with triumphs in the auction. I will be surprised if Warner is bought for less than ten crores.

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Steve Smith
For the second season in a row, Steve Smith will enter the IPL without knowing which team he’ll be playing for.

Teams will be reluctant to bid heavily for him, considering he’s never lit up the IPL or won Australia many games with the bat in the shortest format. But Smith brings in a lot of experience and is a gun fielder.

Lucknow Super Giants and the Ahmedabad franchise (who haven’t finalised their name yet) will want a leader who can help a new team from scratch.

With a base price of two crores, anything more than five crores spent on Smith will be too much. But it’ll most likely be a bidding war between Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Punjab.

Rajasthan Royals player Steve Smith during the practice session

(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Ben McDermott
Earning an Australia T20 recall after a stellar BBL season, Ben McDermott is in career-best form in the limited-overs format.

Add in his wicketkeeping skills and the Hobart Hurricanes’ star bat will be attracting a few bids among franchises.

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It’ll be tough to predict how many franchises will chase McDermott, but Kolkata may triumph if they aren’t successful in chasing Warner.

Matthew Wade
Franchises will have seen how Wade performed for Australia in crunch situations versus South Africa and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup.

A much better player down the order in T20 cricket compared to the past, Wade will be playing the finisher’s role in the IPL.

Punjab Kings love buying Australians in the IPL, so my prediction is Matthew Wade goes off to Punjab.

Matthew Wade celebrates with Marcus Stoinis.

(Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Mitchell Marsh
Is there anyone hitting the white ball better than Mitch Marsh in Australia at the moment?

He is in career-best form. Marsh will attract bids from nearly all if not all franchises this IPL.

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With a base price of two crores, I’m expecting Marsh to end up being the most expensive signing in this mega auction (close to 15 crores).

Who he gets picked up by is a bit of a mystery. However, with Mumbai Indians releasing Hardik Pandya, expect the most successful T20 franchise to pick up Mitch Marsh this IPL.

Moises Henriques
While Henriques struggled in the last IPL, you’d expect the batting all-rounder from NSW to be picked up at base price.

He’s had a pretty successful career in the IPL, especially for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sunrisers need a reliable middle-order bat, and it shouldn’t be a surprise if Henriques is bought by Sunrisers in this auction.

Moises Henriques of the Sixers bats during the Big Bash League

(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Pat Cummins
Cummins is based at two crores this IPL, but his IPL record – where he averages over 30 with the ball – shows that the number one Test bowler doesn’t have it in him to lead a T20 attack.

But his batting prowess over the past two IPL seasons will keep some IPL franchises in check.

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Just like Smith, franchises cannot spend over five crores on Cummins as he’ll struggle leading a pace attack. Maybe Mumbai Indians will get Cummins as a pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah and Cummins would be something special.

Josh Hazlewood
Hazlewood has improved as a T20 bowler massively over the past few years. The seamer from NSW was a part of Chennai Super Kings’ 2021 title-winning squad and won the T20 World Cup soon after that.

Bowlers like Hazlewood are tough to come by and he will attract a decent bid.

‘The Hoff’ will be a great addition to every franchise, but Kolkata could get him as they need an overseas seamer who can carry a young seam attack, something Cummins struggled to do in IPL 2020 and 2021.

Josh Hazlewood celebrates the wicket with Matthew Wade.

(Photo by Gareth Copley-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Jason Behrendorff
The left-arm seamer was a replacement for Hazlewood in the Indian leg of IPL 2021, however he didn’t get a game.

But with the addition of two new franchises, Behrendorff will definitely attract bids. With no Mitch Starc at the auction, Behrendorff is one of the few left-arm seamers who swings the white ball well, which is a massive plus point for him.

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Ahmedabad or Lucknow will buy him this auction. If not, maybe Royal Challengers Bangalore will acquire his services with the highest bid.

Jhye Richardson
Richardson didn’t have a great maiden IPL season, but playing in a weak Punjab outfit didn’t help him much.

With the speedster from WA getting fitter every year, he will attract a high bid once again. Chennai Super Kings will want an express bowler, and Richardson fits that bill perfectly.

Adam Zampa
Zampa’s T20 game has gone up a notch at franchise and international level over the past few years.

With success in the IPL over the past few seasons, Zampa should be bought for between six to eight crores.

Fast wrist spinners are hard to come by this auction, so quite a few franchises will chase after Zampa.

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But Sunrisers Hyderabad are my prediction for Zampa to join, due to the franchise having an Australian-dominant coaching staff. They also require a spinner to replace Rashid Khan.

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