How teams unearth the next big thing

Every year, the Indian Premier League IPL) auction ensures that the fortunes of a few unheralded names and young prospects change in a matter of minutes.

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It will be no different at the mini-auction in Dubai on Tuesday, one of the primary reasons that this annual exercise makes for a compelling watch. Even as frenetic bidding for these players leaves many of us scouring for more information about their backgrounds, the franchises themselves have assembled vast scouting teams to research extensively about them before raising the paddle. All 10 teams are likely to know the ins and outs of every player available, for auction dynamics imply that they won’t always get their preferred picks.

As the IPL has evolved into a more mature product, teams have realized the need to scout the lesser-known domestic players going into an auction. While the top international stars are known about and will invariably fetch big bucks, it’s the domestic picks that can often help a franchise steal a march over its competitors in the grand scheme of things.

Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, the key architects of Mumbai Indians’ success over the past decade, are the most shining examples of the benefit that a robust scouting network can bring.

While preparations go into overdrive once the list of players available at the auction is known, players are now monitored round the clock. For the auction on Tuesday, the final list of players was announced on December II.