IPL 2023: The preparations for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) are in full swing and the mini auctions are all set to take place on December 23, 2022, in Kochi. After the list of released and retained players were made public, there have been loads of speculations about the contesting franchises and the players they are targeting to buy for the upcoming season. The mega auctions were held in 2022 and as far as the next season is concerned, teams will look to fill in the gaps and build teams that can win them the IPL trophy.
This year has been filled with loads of T20 action and the scouts have had a lot of chances to evaluate the efficiency of players and how they can contribute towards a particular franchise. To prolong their longevity, many star players such as Pat Cummins, Sam Billings, and Alex Hales pulled out of the marquee event and refrained from entering the auction. There are still many players who are up for grabs and the franchises will want to target them and reserve their services when the mini-auctions get underway. Addressing this same matter, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) could be the franchise that will bid for Ben Stokes. Looking at the combination that LSG has as of now, Ashwin feels that Ben Stokes will certainly be at the top of their list.
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Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube page said:
They (Lucknow Super Giants) will certainly bid for Ben Stokes. Only if they don't get him, they will look to buy other players.
As of now, LSG aka Lucknow Super Giants have a total of INR 23.35 crore remaining for the mini-auction. They also happen to be one of the franchises that are going into the auction with a pretty heavy purse. The remaining balance that they have will enable them to go for Ben Stokes. Even if the bidding war shoots up, LSG can still manage to break the bank and buy Stokes for the upcoming season. As of now, Lucknow Super Giants have a total of 4 overseas slots that are remaining. Ahead of the much-hyped event, they have released Manish Pandey, Andrew Tye, and Jason Holder. Ben Stokes is a pretty reputed all-rounder who can tick all the boxes and will be one of the most sought-after players in the mini-auctions.
