IPL25
Follow UsRoyal Challengers Bengaluru - KL Rahul
It’s generic as it can be, and it’s the popular sentiment too, but KL Rahul will indeed be the dream pick for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in every way. Understandably, Rahul’s strike rate has made him the villain in T20 cricket but let’s put that aside for a moment and see what are the other problems he solves.
RCB need a wicketkeeper, a potential captain and another opener — Rahul is the solution to all three problems. What’s more, being ‘only’ 32, he has the potential to be the face of the franchise for the next five years. And the story writes itself here with Rahul being a local boy returning back home and whatnot.
But it’s worth focusing on what Rahul will bring to the table (minus the strike rate, of course). In their history, RCB have never had an Indian player not named Virat Kohli score 500 runs in a season. For the past six years at least, Kohli has pretty much been the only consistent source of ‘heavy runs’ from the side’s Indian contingent.
But Rahul, being a run bank, entering the fray will make the side’s batting well-rounded and not reliant on just a couple of individuals for perhaps the first time ever. It will enable them to then focus on investing in bowling, something that’s historically proven to be the team’s Achilles heel.
The good news for RCB is that even if they, say, splash INR 20 crore on Rahul, they’ll still have enough funds to target a couple of world-class bowlers and at least one more world-class overseas batter.
All that being said, the ‘dream signing’ on paper will only prove to be a dream signing in reality if Rahul sheds conservatism and bats the way he is capable of batting.
Mumbai Indians - Yuzvendra Chahal
Mumbai Indians already have at their disposal four of the biggest names in Indian cricket in Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. The team will be complete if they can somehow get their hands on another behemoth in Yuzvendra Chahal.
Across the last three years, there’s been no paucity of world class batters and seamers in the MI side but they’ve been found wanting when it comes to spinners.
Since the start of IPL 2022, Mumbai’s spinners have taken just 67 wickets — eighth among ten teams and 15 fewer than the seventh team on the list, Lucknow Super Giants. Their spinners’ E.R of 8.8 is also eighth among ten teams while their average of 32.1 is seventh among ten franchises.
What better way to solve this problem than get the man who has been the best spinner in the competition during this time period?
Since IPL 2022, Chahal has taken 10 more wickets than any other spinner and has an outrageous strike rate of 16.3, by some distance the best among all spinners who have taken 40 or more wickets during the period.
He’ll unquestionably be an upgrade on Piyush Chawla but, more importantly, MI can still go and purchase two overseas seamers even after getting their hands on Chahal.
Will Chahal be affordable? That’s the big question for MI. But given the leggie went for only INR 6.5 crore at the mega auction in 2022, MI can dare to dream.
Chennai Super Kings - Glenn Maxwell
At the IPL 2021 auction, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) identified Glenn Maxwell as their ‘dream pick’ and bid up to INR 14 crore for the Aussie showman. They were eventually outbid by RCB but CSK made their intentions clear.
Four seasons on, you can make the argument that Maxwell is still the dream signing for the franchise.
For one, he is the middle-overs basher capable of adding a whole new dimension to CSK’s batting. The team is now reliant on Shivam Dube alone for spin bashing in the 7-15 phase but acquiring Maxwell will give them another middle-overs maniac who can also double up as a potential finisher. Basically a much, much more dangerous Daryl Mitchell, if you will.
But forget Maxwell’s batting, he’ll be a valuable addition to the side based on his bowling alone. Could you imagine Maxwell’s offies game in and game out at the Chepauk? Ooof!
On top of all this, he’ll be another experienced leader in the ranks — perfectly fitting the CSK mould — and a mega fan favourite who will further help in growing the Yellow Army.
CSK and Maxwell, made for each other? It seems so.
Having retained all of two players, both uncapped, Punjab Kings need to pretty much build their entire team from scratch. So this is actually one side that can have multiple ‘dream’ signings.
Still, among everyone, you do get the sense that Rishabh Pant will be their ultimate dream signing. Because if they get Pant, Punjab, perhaps for the first time since Yuvraj Singh in 2008, will have a household Indian name they can build their franchise around for the next half a decade. Not just a leader but a brand.
And even putting his reputation aside, who wouldn’t want a player like Pant in their starting XI?
A left-handed batter that’s a middle-order destroyer AND a run-accumulator in one, who despite already being world-class still has levels that can be unlocked. There is a reason why everyone’s tipping Pant to be the most expensive player at this auction.
Luckily, PBKS have so much cash that they can even afford to pay INR 28-30 crore for the 27-year-old and still have enough cash left to build a competent squad overall.
You have to say that the ball is in Punjab’s court right now.
Delhi Capitals might have lost the services of Pant, but they still have a solid core in Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs, Kuldeep Yadav and Abishek Porel.
Now imagine them adding Jos Buttler on top of this.
Again, like RCB and PBKS, Delhi are also searching for a captain. Of course getting Shreyas Iyer back would be nice, but, from a cricketing perspective, the individual who would truly elevate them to a whole new level is Buttler.
On one hand he could do unthinkable damage with the bat in hand on those flat Arun Jaitley Stadium surfaces, and on the other he is someone who will have enough experience to lead an otherwise young unit.
From a run-scoring perspective, he will also help fill the void left by Pant who, mind you, scored 446 runs at an average 40.55 and strike rate of 155.40 in IPL 2024.
Rajasthan Royals - Marco Jansen
In the last IPL cycle (2022-2024), Rajasthan Royals had world-class specialist batters and world-class specialist bowlers. Yet they struggled to find that one all-rounder who could serve as the link between the batting and the bowling. You know, that individual capable of influencing games batting at No.7 or No.8 while being a frontline bowler.
Apart from none of their designated lower-order hitters clicking — Jason Holder, Jimmy Neesham and Rovman Powell all were tried and failed — RR were in a weird spot where none of their specialist bowlers, barring Ashwin, could hold the bat.
That’s where Marco Jansen comes into the picture. The 24-year-old is capable of taking the new ball and serving as a specialist bowler if required but he can also potentially win games with the bat for the Royals batting at No.6 or No.7.
What he showcased in the third T20I against India in Centurion is a glimpse of what he’s capable of with the bat. And being just 24, he still can significantly improve as both a bowler and a batter.
With RR having already retained their batting core completely, Jansen would certainly be a dream pick of sorts.
Sunrisers Hyderabad - Arshdeep Singh
Travis Head, locked ✅
Abhishek Sharma, locked ✅
Heinrich Klaasen, locked ✅
Nitish Kumar Reddy, locked ✅
Pat Cummins, locked ✅
Sunrisers Hyderabad will enter the auction with arguably the strongest core, and they are in a situation where they are one world class Indian seamer away from having a ridiculously well-rounded team filled with match-winners. Who better than Arshdeep Singh, who will enter the auction as the most in-form Indian speedster?
With Bhuvneshwar Kumar unlikely to return, SRH will unquestionably need an Indian spearhead capable of setting the tone with the new ball. Arshdeep fits the bill like no other, having taken more powerplay wickets than any other bowler since his debut in T20Is.
Hyderabad is also a graveyard for bowlers, so Arshdeep’s death-bowling skills and experience will both come in handy as well. He’s anyway been shaped well by bowling in Mohali, which has also been a bowlers’ graveyard of late.
Lucknow Super Giants - Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer wants to go to a franchise that will be willing to make him captain. Lucknow Super Giants are looking for a captain, specifically someone that’s a ‘winner’.
For LSG, who better than the man who led KKR to the title in IPL 2024? And for Iyer, who better than LSG, given the franchise’s requirements?
As tempting as it might be for LSG to hand Nicholas Pooran the captaincy, it might just be better for all parties involved for the franchise to just let Pooran ‘do his thing’ and hand over leadership duties to someone keen on captaincy. Iyer fits this bill.
And while Iyer’s ‘anchoring’ might not quite be suitable for franchises that play on really flat decks where the average score is often north of 200, his ability to churn out tough runs, and play spin well, might prove to be really valuable at a venue like Ekana. Notably, in IPL 2024, Lucknow witnessed only one score over 200.
Kolkata Knight Riders - Phil Salt
Having retained six players, the Knight Riders do not have an RTM card available. Still, their dream signing for this edition too would be the man who they signed as a replacement for Jason Roy last time around, Phil Salt.
Why? Why not? Salt is the most explosive opener available at the auction and KKR need an opener, having exclusively retained middle-order batters and bowlers. Last season, he hammered 435 runs at an average of 39.55 and an astonishing strike rate of 182, helping the team kill off many games in the powerplay itself. He ruled at the Eden, smashing 350 runs at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 185.2.
More pertinently, he formed a killer partnership with Sunil Narine up top; the pair were arguably the best opening duo in IPL 2024, on par with Head and Abhishek, averaging 46.6 while striking at 207.8.
For KKR, bringing Salt back for IPL 2025 will be akin to hitting a jackpot.
Gujarat Titans - Mitchell Starc
A few months ago at the IPL 2024 auction, Gujarat Titans bid up to INR 24.50 crore for Mitchell Starc. Come November 24, don’t be surprised if the franchise once again bid aggressively for the Australian speedster, who they’ve identified as someone that can truly take them to the next level.
Starc will not provide GT with consistency - we saw this with KKR too - but what he will do is provide them an out-and-out match-winning pace option. If they can somehow RTM one of Noor Ahmad or Mohammed Shami, then you’ll be looking at Starc, Rashid and Shami/Noor bowling 12 off the 20 overs. That’s pretty lethal.
Why Starc could be a great fit for GT is because of the Ahmedabad factor. The Narendra Modi Stadium is one of the rare venues where pacers still find a copious amount of swing up-front with the new ball. Starc showed just how unplayable he can be in such conditions, striking three deadly blows, including the famous one of Head, in the Qualifier 1 clash last season.
The left-armer, in fact, has an outrageous record in Ahmedabad across ODIs and T20s, having taken 11 wickets in just four games.
With Starc it’s always a gamble, but it might be one worth taking for a franchise like GT.
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