The IPL auction is set to take place later this month, as the BCCI and the IPL committee are trying to iron out the finer details before the mega event.
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This will be the biggest auction that will be held since the first one back in 2008. With all eight original franchises back in the league, the IPL is expected to start a new chapter with this year’s edition.
A couple of days back, it was reported that Yusuf Pathan had failed a dope test, and would be ineligible for selection in the IPL auction.
According to reports, Pathan, who played just one Ranji Trophy game for Baroda last season, “consumed a medicine named Brozeet which has Terbutaline in it. While Terbutaline is a banned substance, a player is allowed to take it if he has taken prior permission, neither Pathan nor the team doctor took prior permission,” says the report.
Pathan is now the second Indian cricketer to be test positive, after Pradeep Sangwan was handed an 18-month ban during the 2012 IPL.
But Yusuf has apparently convinced BCCI that he had taken it accidentally while treating his Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI). The BCCI then released a statement that the 35-year old had “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups”.
We also learn that the base prices for Yusuf Pathan and brother Irfan Pathan would be Rs 75 lakh and Rs 50 lakh respectively.
“Yusuf has been amongst the most successful middle-order batsmen in the IPL, while Irfan has been one of the most prolific allrounders in the league. The franchises are likely to gun for them,” said a source as quoted by TOI.
IPL veterans Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh will have their base price set at Rs 2 crore each. Star players such as Yuvraj Singh, Dwayne Bravo and Yuzi Chahal are also expected to have their base prices pegged at Rs 2 crore.
A source spoke on Harbhajan’s influence in the IPL,
“He played for MI for 10 years, which explains his immense value. He was their first captain to get them a title. He’s captaincy material, has gone for 6.95 runs per over, vastly experienced. He’s amongst the top wicket-takers in the IPL, and is a useful batsman down the order. ”
“This is the first time that he’ll be available in the auction. Having him in the side, one gets not just match-winning ability, but someone who takes the team along with him. He can mentor and develop the youngsters in the team,” the unnamed source said.
“I’ve had a great decade-long relationship with MI. I’ll look to bowl well and win games for whichever team I play for in the IPL. Let’s see what happens at the auction,” said Harbhajan.
