Cricketing Legends in IPL
Legends in IPL: The IPL 2023 mini-auction set new records. Players who are yet to make their IPL debut ended up earning more than INR 13 crores in the auction. Three players earned in excess of INR 15 crores with Sam Curran being the most expensive player.
He fetched a humungous sum of INR 18.5 crores. It left everyone wondering what could be the glass ceiling for top cricketers if they chose to enter the auction. And what if these cricketers are from the pre-T20 era?
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We explore what the auction would have looked like had these few Legends in IPL been auctioned:
#5 Viv Richards
He was the original master blaster whose mere presence at the crease intimidated bowlers. Viv Richards was truly ahead of his time. His swagger, style, and aggression helped him dominate bowlers worldwide. He is someone who played T20 cricket way before the format came into existence. Richards could chip in with the ball too while being a gun fielder. He would have topped the wish lists for most franchises had he been part of an auction.
Estimated price in auction: INR 18.00 crores.
#4 Wasim Akram
The sultan of swing remains the leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 502 scalps. Wasim Akram was an absolute beast in white-ball cricket. He single-handedly changed the complexion of the World Cup final in 1992 with just 3 deliveries. Akram was known to bowl such spells with alarming consistency. His lower-order hitting would have been another big asset. Akram would have surely set the auctions on fire.
Estimated price in auction: INR 18.50 crores.
#3 Lance Klusener
He was a player of the World Cup in 1999. Lance Klusener could win games on his own out of nowhere. He was one of those players who made the term ‘finisher’ popular. Klusener bludgeoned attacks into submission. His sharp pace caught batters unawares. No game was over as long as Klusener was at the crease. He could have easily toppled Sam Curran’s price tag in the auction.
Estimated price in auction: INR 19.00 crores.
#2 Imran Khan
He was a charismatic leader. Imran Khan led Pakistan to World Cup glory in 1992. His troops were called the ‘cornered tigers’. Khan was an absolute poster boy in cricket. He worked his charm over his opponents too. Khan was one of the four great all-rounders who played during his era.
He was the one who is credited to have taught the art of reverse swing to Wasim and Waqar Younis. In the IPL where grooming the players is a big part of a captain’s role, Khan would have excelled in that capacity too. He would have been an absolute blockbuster in the auction.
Estimated price in auction: INR 19.75 crores.
#1 Kapil Dev
India’s search for another Kapil Dev keeps getting longer with every passing year. There have been many who have claimed to be his successors but none could match his class, skills, temperament, and more importantly fitness. Dev is famous for not missing a single game to injury. He was a live wire who created magical moments on the field.
Dev was a fine exponent of the yorker to which most batters didn’t have a clue. His approach to batting was simple-which was to see the ball and hit it long and hard. Add to this his captaincy credentials, there couldn’t be a better IPL package than Dev. He would easily have been the most expensive player in the auction ever.
