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Top five captains up for grabs in the IPL auction

Siddharth Nair
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source : cricketcountry.com

We are just a day away from the mega IPL auction, as the best players in the world will be up for grabs in what promises to be a historic day in IPL history.

This will be the biggest auction to take place after the first one back in 2008, as all eight IPL franchises will look to start from scratch and assemble a new squad.

While all franchises will be looking to build a balanced side, there will be a few sides that will be keen to bring a captain in to their fold.

Of all the eight teams, KXIP, KKR and Delhi Daredevils have not retained a captain and will certainly looking to bring in one during the auction.

Here we look at five captains that will be up for grabs in the IPL auction!

Shane Watson

Watson has a fond spot for the IPL, as this was the platform on which he truly named himself in front of an international audience.

Once the darling of Rajasthan Royals, Watson could still garner a huge bid based on his past performances and his proficiency as a captain.

Watson recently captained the Syndey Thunders side in the BBL, and will certainly be someone who the IPL teams could look at as a prospective captain. Especially with a base price of Rs 1 crore!

Joe Root

The Englishman will enter the IPL auction for the very first time, as Joe Root will hope to bag a big contract tomorrow.

Root had a great ICC World T20 a couple of years back, as the batsman thrived in Indian conditions and was a driving force in England’s journey to the final.

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While Root is yet to captain in the T20 format, an IPL team could take a chance and build a side around the talented batsman. A risky proposition, but one that could pay huge dividends over the years!

Kane Williamson

The classy Kiwi will enter the auction at a base price of Rs 1.5 crores, as Williamson could spark a bidding war among the eight franchises.

Although Williamson was a good addition to the Sunrisers Hyderabad team for the last couple of years, the Kiwi will could not light up the tournament, something that he will try to do this time around.

With a brand new team, Williamson could well and truly shine this year, as the Kiwi will be a hotly fought player in this year’s auction.

Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir is the most accomplished captain on this list, as the Delhi batsman will certainly have many suitors in the auction tomorrow.

The legendary KKR captain won two IPL trophies in three years with the Kolkata side, as Gambhir took a downtrodden franchise right to the very top of the league.

At the fag-end of his career, Gambhir will be looking to bag one last contract as several teams will be looking to buy one of Indian cricket’s greatest servants.

Ajinkya Rahane

Expected to be one of the most sought after players in the auction, Ajinkya Rahane will certainly be bought at a price that far exceed his base price of Rs 2 crores.

With over 3000 runs to his name at a strike rate of 120.59, Rahane can bag a high price solely on his batting abilities alone. Throw in the fact that he is also a very good captain, and Ajinkya Rahane immediately becomes a must-buy for KKR, KXIP and Delhi Daredevils.

According to reports, KKR will be aggressively looking to bring in Rahane as they want the Mumbai batsman to replace take over Gambhir to lead the KKR franchise.

Certainly a lot to look forward to tomorrow!

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