Nothing mini about auction as franchises look to rebuild

CSK, KKR have high purse value and are keen to put together a core group of players; teams like MI, PBKS and GT, meanwhile, will like to add some back-ups

- GOMESH S @Chennai

EVERY time there is an Indian Premier League (IPL) mini auction, the buzz is always around whether the ceiling for the highest-paid player will be broken, which team will break the bank, so on and so forth.

Oftentimes, the mini auction is about plugging holes and doing course correction for most times. One or two teams will come in with a clean slate trying to form a core. This time, however, things are a little different. At least four teams come into the auction with 16 players or less with Kolkata Knight Riders having only 12 players. Most teams usually look to fill at least 20-22 of the 25 and that is why, there is nothing mini about this particular auction.

KKR, for starters, will be looking to form their core batting at the auction and they have the money to do so. Opener, keeper, all-rounder, overseas striker, you name it, they will be looking to fill the slot. KKR usually pick a strong 16-member squad but the tricky aspect will be whether they have the pool of players to pick from in the auction.

What teams look for

With 77 available slots at the mini auction on Tuesday, a look at what some of the teams need to do...

Chennai seek stability

The five-time champs have let go some of their big names while trading Sanju Samson. With that, Chennai Super Kings will be looking for some power-hitting middle-order batters and overseas pacers. Cam Green will be on the radar, but can they afford him? Who will replace Ravindra Jadeja? What happens to Matheesha Pathirana?

DC need openers, pacers