IPL Season 4: The Auction Is All About Numbers

IPL Season 4: The Auction Is All About Numbers

The fourth edition of the high-profile Indian Premier League will start on April 8 this year, six days after the conclusion of the 2011 Cricket World Cup and will end on May 22, the players' auction are to be held on January 8 and 9 in Mumbai and iSporter Jigar Mehta pens his views.

The price bands for the IPL auctions to be held in Bangalore on January 8 and 9 have been announced. 350 players are divided into six brackets of $400,000, $300,000, $200,000, $100,000, $50,000, $20,000.

$400,000 bracket:

There are 22 names which have attracted the highest reserve price of $400,000. Some of the most notable names include former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara, and Chris Gayle.

Sourav Ganguly modified his reserve price from $200,000 to $400,000.

Anil Kumble was in this bracket but withdrew from the auction citing business commitments.

Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Michael Yardy and Luke Wright, who will be participating in the tournament for the first time, also find a place in the top bracket.

The full list of Players valued at a reserve price of $400,000:

Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, James Anderson, Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Sourav Ganguly.

$300,000 bracket:

Jacques Kallis who played for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Muttiah Muralitharan, who featured for Chennai Super Kings in the first three seasons, are included in the $300,000 bracket. The other big names include Zaheer Khan (formerly played for Mumbai Indians), Yusuf Pathan (formerly played for Rajasthan Royals), Andrew Symonds (formerly played for Deccan Chargers), Shaun Tait(formerly played for Rajasthan Royals), Kumar Sangakkara (formerly played for Kings XI Punjab), Angelo Mathews (formerly played for  Kolkata Knight Riders), VVS Laxman, Cameron White, Simon James Cook.

VVS Laxman modified his reserve price from $200,000 to $300,000.

$200,000 bracket:

45 players have been listed in this category. Gautam Gambhir, who captained Delhi Daredevils last season, and Michael Hussey and Doug Bollinger, who were part of Chennai Super Kings also find themselves in the $200,000 bracket. The other top names include: Dirk Nannes, Eoin Morgan, Robin Uthappa and Sanath Jayasuriya

$100,000 bracket:

This bracket includes 92 players with the biggest names being Tamim Iqbal, R Ashwin, Morne Morkel and Ben Hilfenhaus.

$50,000 bracket:

This bracket includes 109 players with the biggest names being Brendan Taylor, Phillip Jaques, Andrew McDonald, Monty Panesar, Abhishek Nayar, Andre Nel, Suraj Randiv.

$20,000 bracket:

This bracket includes 69 players with the biggest names being Jehan Mubarak, Prasanna Jayawardene, Malinga Bandara, Neil Broom, Bryce McGain, and Luke Pomersbach.

Players Retention Rule:

Each franchise will have $9 million at their disposal for the auction and maximum of 30 players in their squad.

A franchise can retain maximum of four players and accordingly the franchise's salary cap will be reduced.

• The franchise will be charged $1.8 million per year for the first player retained

• For the second player retained it will be charged $1.3 million per year

• $900,000 per year for the third player retained

• $500,000 per year for the fourth player retained

So if a franchise decides to retain four players it will have only $4.5 million per year to spend on other players.

List of retained players by the franchises:

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have retained their maximum allowed four players; Rajasthan Royals has retained two, while Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore have retained one player each.

• Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga

• Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, M Vijay, Albie Morkel

• Rajasthan: Shane Warne, Shane Watson

• Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag

• Royal Challengers Bangalore : Virat Kohli

This means that Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders will have the entire amount of $9 million at their disposal for the auction, as they have chosen to release all their players in the auction pool.

While Chennai and Mumbai, who retained the maximum allowed four players each, will have only $4.5 million at their disposa