Kolkata: The Indian Premier League (IPL) announced its final auction pool on Tuesday, which was cut in half from the initial 1214 players. The list has been whittled down to 590 players who will be auctioned off at the two-day mega auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. This final list also included 44 new names that were added to the auction pool at the franchisees’ request.
There are 228 capped players, 355 uncapped players, and seven players from Associate nations like USA, Nepal, Namibia, and Scotland among the 590 players. The seven Associate players are David Wiese, JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Sandeep Lamichhane, Brad Wheal, Safyaan Sharif, and Ali Khan.
With two new teams – Lucknow Super Giants and yet to be named Ahmedabad franchise – having been added to the IPL fold, the auction will likely see fierce bidding for some of the rising stars in Indian cricket besides the seasoned pros. As a result, it will not surprise to see who would be the eye-catching associates of IPL 2022.
Starting with the associate players who would likely make the cut at the auction:
1. David Wiese – Namibia
Namibia and former South Africa all-rounder David Wiese is one of three cricketers from his country in the IPL 2022 mega auction player shortlist for a base price of 50 lakhs. Many had seen him donning the red of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament. And, once again, his odds of making the cut appear to be good, and he could be one of the players to keep an eye on. Wiese struck his maiden fifty in the recent T20 World Cup in the UAE, a thumping knock at a strike rate of 164, including four fours and five sixes, in little under six overs, ensuring Namibia finished the campaign on a positive note.
2. Ruben Trumpelmann – Namibia
Former South African all-rounder Albie Morkel persuaded Namibian pacer Ruben Trumpelmann to switch to Namibia, and he was the highlight in the T20 World Cup 2021. In T20 International cricket, he became the first bowler to take three wickets in the first over of a match. In the 16-year history of T20I cricket, no one has ever done it before. The left-arm fast pacer has set his base price at Rs 20 lakhs for the upcoming IPL 2022 auction.
3. Brad Wheal – Scotland
Brad Wheal was headlined during the T20 World Cup 2021. Wheal was the standout bowler for Scotland with 3 wickets for 24 runs at Scotland vs Bangladesh match. Recently, he had also signed an extension contract with the Hampshire club. Wheal played a key role in Hampshire’s 2021 Vitality Blast campaign which saw the Hawks reach Finals Day. The fast-bowler was instrumental and picked up 17 wickets across the tournament – Hampshire’s second-highest wicket-taker. Wheal has set his base price at 50 lakhs and will hope to make his debut in IPL.
4. Sandeep Lamichhane – Nepal
Nepali leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane could be one such player who would grab the attention of fans and spectators at the tournament. He had already made his debut in the IPL saga. Lamichhane was a part of the Delhi Capitals squad in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He had also contributed to Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League, and Pakistan Super League. The leg spinner’s bidding will start at Rs 40 lakhs in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
5. JJ Smit – Namibia
Namibian all-rounder Johannes Jonathan Smit was named as the vice-captain of Namibia’s squad for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. While David Wiese and Ruben Trumpelmann were key players in Namibia’s debut tournament effort, JJ Smith was a name not to be overlooked. In November 2021, Smit was named as the captain of Namibia’s team for the 2021 Namibia Tri-Nation Series after Gerhard Erasmus was ruled out due to an injury. The Namibian can be a good buy at a base price of Rs 20 lakhs.
6. Safyaan Sharif – Scotland
In a World Cup Qualifier match in 2018 against Zimbabwe, the all-rounder picked up 5/33 which made him the ‘man of the match’ in the tied match. The 30-year old has set a base price of Rs 20 lakhs and would be hoping to get a buyer in the mega auction.
7. Ali Khan- USA
Ali Khan became the first player from the USA to be a part of an IPL franchise when he was roped in by KKR in 2020. However, he was injured and ruled out of the tournament. Ali Khan went unsold in IPL 2021 auctions and would be hoping to get a buyer in the IPL 2022 mega auction. The right-arm fast bowler has 53 wickets in 48 T20 matches. The 31-year old has set his base price at 40 lakhs.
