File photo of R Ashwin
Indian cricket, and the world for that matter, eagerly awaits the IPL 2022 mega auction that will see all franchises, along with two new teams, undergo a major reshuffle in their bid to form a team for the next decade.
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With the rule allowing retention of just three players, some major Indian veteran names have been listed for the auction and in this edition of our buildup to the mega payday, we take a look at them.
However, before we dive into the list, we will inform our readers that the age cap for a veteran player is set at 34; forcing the exclusion of names such as Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Piyush Chawla among others have missed out on the list.
R Ashwin
Age: 35
Base price: Rs 2 crore
Teams played for: Chennai Super Kings (2008-15), Rising Pune Supergiants (2016-17), Kings XI Punjab (2018-19) and Delhi Capitals (2020-21)
Ravichandran Ashwin will be among the most sought-after names at the auction, irrespective of his age. The 35-year-old all-rounder, who played for four IPL teams since the inception of the tournament, has recently re-established himself in the national teams in all formats after often being considered a Test specialist. The late rise in his career has been down to his street-smart bowling, which comes handy in the shorter format, and his ability to play a cameo down the order; making him a must pick.
Shikhar Dhawan
File photo of Shikhar Dhawan.
Age: 36
Teams played for: Delhi Daredevils (2008), Mumbai Indians (2009-10), Deccan Chargers (2011-12), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013-18), Delhi Capitals (2020-21)
On a run-scoring spree with his last franchise Delhi Capitals, Shikhar Dhawan will have little to worry about as far as takers are concerned. The 36-year-old batter has been a persistent performer with the bat and brings consistency at the top of the older. His recent splurge of runs in the limited format with the Indian team, after struggles with injuries, leaves no iota of doubt in his capability.
Suresh Raina
Age: 35
Base price: Rs 2 crore
Teams played for: CSK (2008-15), Gujarat Lions (2016-17), CSK (2018-21)
Raina may have records to his name in the biggest franchise league cricket but is no more the player he once was. To begin with, he is no longer an international cricketer and in the 2021 season for Chennai Super Kings, Raina only scored 128 runs in 12 matches. Though a few suitors are expected to be interested in availing the southpaw's services, the chances of him fetching a big deal are fairly slim.
Dinesh Karthik
File photo of Dinesh Karthik.
Age: 36
Base price: Rs 2 crore
Teams played for: DD (2008-10), KXIP (2011), Mumbai Indians (2012-13), DD (2014), Royal Challengers Bangalore (2015), Gujarat Lions (2016-17), Kolkata Knight Riders (2018-21)
Time and tied none have waited for Dinesh Karthik, who had few good memories during his last stint with Kolkata Knight Riders. The two-year period at the franchise saw him lose his captaincy while failing to find consistency with the bat; not to forget that he fell down the pecking order as far as his place in the Indian team is concerned. Saying that, Karthik is still among the best finishers in the death overs of the limited format and an experienced wicket-keeper.
Wriddhiman Saha
Age: 37
Base price: Rs 1 crore
Teams played for: KKR (2008-10), CSK (2011-13), KXIP (2014-17), SRH (2018-21)
Wriddhiman Saha's story has been somewhat similar to that of Karthik but his downfall has been mostly down to a long injury lay-off. The advent of Rishabh Pant has also forced him into a reserve role with the Indian Test team. But make no mistake, Wriddhiman is a capable T20 batter, who is capable of playing an opener as well as in the death overs. However, at 37, Wriddhiman will have to convince many that he has the years left in him to see out a three-year contract.
Ambati Rayudu
File photo of Ambati Rayudu.
Age: 36
Base price: Rs 2 crore
Teams played for: MI (2010-17), CSK (2018-21)
A consistent face with giants Mumbai Indians and then Chennai Super Kings, Ambati Rayudu goes under the hammer as an experienced middle-order batter. A modern-day cricketer, who is capable of pacing his innings at will, has a base price set at Rs 2 crore, which had sceptics wondering if he will have any takers. However, the Andhra cricketer made the smart move of entering his name in the auction list as a wicket-keeper; increasing his chances of being picked at the auction.
Kedar Jadhav
Age: 36
Base price: Rs 1 crore
Teams played for: DD (2010), Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011), DD (2013-15), RCB (2016-17), CSK (2018-20), SRH (2021)
Things have taken a turn for bad for Kedar Jadhav, whose career has went downhill since selection in 2019 World Cup squad. He could very well we snubbed at the auction as was the case last year before SRH called him back for a base price of Rs 2 crore. He, however, had a forgettable IPL 2021 outing with his consistency and low strike rate coming into question.
Robin Uthappa
File photo of Robin Uthappa.
Age: 36
Base price: Rs 2 crore
Teams played for: MI (2008), RCB (2009-10), Pune Warriors (2011-13), KKR (2014-19), Rajasthan Royals (2020), CSK (2021)
With a base price as high as Rs 2 crore, Robin Uthappa will be keeping his fingers crossed as he goes under the hammer as a player past his prime and at the last leg of his career. Struggling to find place in the CSK's title-winning campaign for majority of the last season, Uthappa's bid will hinge on his performance at the play-off stages and final that proved vital in Chennai winning the title again.
S Sreesanth
Age: 38
Base price: Rs 50 lakh
Teams played for: KXIP (2008-10), Kochi Tuskers (2011), RR (2013)
One of the infamous names of the IPL, S Sreesanth will return to the cash-rich league after a hiatus marred with spot-fixing. And returning to the league after a gap of seven years at the age of 38, the fast bowler will have hard-time convincing franchises he still has it in him to play at the top level.
Murali Vijay
File photo of Murali Vijay.
Age: 37
Base price: Rs 50 lakh
Teams played for: CSK (2009-13), DD (2014), KXIP (2015-17), CSK (2018-20)
A delight to watch in his heydays, Murali Vijay is now just a shadow of his prime self as he enters the mega auction at the age of 37 with a base price of Rs 50 lakh. Since scoring 400-plus runs in 2016 for KXIP, Vijay has lost his ability to score runs and played just six IPL matches for CSK in last three years while missing out the 2021 edition; making his ignorance by franchises at the auction a high possibility.
Amit Mishra
Age: 39
Base price: Rs 1.5 crore
Teams played for: DD (2008-10), Deccan Chargers (2011-12), Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013-14), DD/Delhi Capitals (2015-2021)
Amit Mishra is the highest wicket-taking spinner in IPL, which alone makes him a big candidate for selection. However, at the age of 39, it's uncertain how many teams will like to rope in his services; unless they believe the oldest Indian name in the auction list has a role to play with the franchise beyond his playing days.
Domestic cricket stalwarts
Apart from the veteran names of the national team, several old guards of the domestic cricket have entered their names for the auction as well. This includes Bengal batter and state's sports minister Manoj Tiwary (36) among the prominent names. The list also includes Karn Sharma (34), Sheldon Jackson (35), Rahul Sharma (35), Aditya Tare (34) among others.
