Located in the corner of the city, the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kochi’s Bolgatty area is all set to host the IPL mini-auction on December 23. Preparations were in full swing on the eve of the big day and the franchise owners, coaches and other support staff started checking from 12 o’clock in the day itself. All-Black Sporting, KKR CEO and MD Venky Mysore was one of the early birds and was soon joined by head coach Chandrakant Pandit and assistant coach Abhishek Nair.
Excitement was in the air and the lobby of the plush hotel was buzzing with activity. As the sun was setting and a pleasant evening breeze was blowing, a familiar face came in. fitter than ever, ex India Cricketer S Sreesanth went to the balcony and greeted a handful of media persons. Bulging biceps, tucker hat and sunglasses completed one of India’s biggest on-field entertainers, who seemed in a hurry to meet his former teammate and now Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra.
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Nehra ji is in the city for two days and marathon discussion and planning is going on in the defending champion GT’s camp. Last season’s other new team, Lucknow Supergiants, also had day-long meetings. Players like Gautam Gambhir, Andy Flower, Vijay Dahiya are expected to be on the auction table on Friday.
It was all fun and games as the teams crossed each other’s paths in the hotel lobby, a day before the teams engaged in the ultimate battle of picking the right talent at the right price. The meet and greet was the taste of a very busy day but the news of the auction, on unexpected lines, did not spread like fire in this part of the country.
“What’s going on over here?” Asked for company in the hotel’s Christmas shop, a middle-aged woman with two children. “Oh, is there an IPL auction? Which player is coming? Where can we see it?” Question after question followed, leaving no window for a quick nod.
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Most of the regular guests of the hotel coffee shop did not care what was happening around them and were satisfied with their cup of tea and a beautiful sunset.
Later in the evening, the wind intensity and arrivals increased and prominent personalities like BCCI Secretary Jai Shah, who had arrived in the afternoon, were seen. This was followed by the IPL auction briefing and Mike Hesson (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Kumar Sangakkara (Rajasthan Royals), Trevor Bayliss (Punjab Kings), Pragyan Ojha (IPL Governing Council Member) and Venky Mysore (KKR CEO & MD) Seen with Support staff of their respective teams.
Delhi Capitals co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi was the last person to check-in on the eve of the auction and he hurried upstairs after a quick hello to the content and communication team of the franchise. None had come from Mumbai Indians yet and the think-tank for the most successful team in the history of the competition is expected to reach base on the day of the auction. Again, there is no confirmation or clarity on the timing of his arrival.
After a very cold day, serious business will take center stage when 405 players will be at stake. There has been only one change to the list as Australia’s Ben McDermott has withdrawn his application and uncapped Shashank Singh has been added to the shortlist on the request of a franchise.
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The first few sets – capped batsmen and all-rounders – is where most of the action is expected. Shares of Ben Stokes, Cameron Green and Sam Curran are riding high and all three look favorites to attract the highest bids on the day.
The uncapped set will also interest a lot of teams as smart buys for teams sitting with thin purses are likely to be the flavor of the day. With hefty purses like SRH and Punjab Kings, it will be a buying spree of sorts as they look to rebuild the team under new captain respectively.
Out of 405 selected, only 87 will get IPL teams for the upcoming edition. 30 out of 87 spots have been kept for foreign players. It will be celebration for some and heartbreak for most, but an entertaining day is in store for the fans glued to the action, where the principles of demand and supply will go for a toss.
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