1. Mumbai Indians
Purse available: Rs 13.05 crore and it is the lowest among the teams participating in the auction.
Slots to be filled: 7 (5 Indians, 2 foreigners)
Auction strategy: The defending champions may have a go at Chris Lynn or Robin Uthappa as they had released both Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons. So, they may like to add a power opener to partner Rohit Sharma at the totem pole position.
2. Chennai Super Kings
Purse available: Rs 14.05 crore. They have the second lowest purse in the auction room.
Slots to be filled: 5 (5 Indians and 2 foreigners)
Auction strategy: They have retained all their core members at least for another season. The three-time champions and 2019 finalists will be looking for some reinforcements. They might try to get someone like Chris Morris or Jaydev Unadkat who can support the main members in a crunch time.
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Purse available: Rs 27.9
Slots to be filled: 12 (Indians: 6, Foreign: 6).
Auction strategy: They could be looking to fill the slot of a pacer after releasing Dale Steyn and couple of middle-order slots. They may use Right to Match (RTM) card to buy back Shimron Hetmyer, who has been in roaring form in the limited-over series against India, Pat Cummins too could be on their radar.
4. Kings XI Punjab
Purse available: Rs 42.70 crore. It is the largest purse among eight teams.
Slots to be filled: 9 (Indians: 5, Foreigners: 4).
Auction strategy: They have the highest purse and need to take a relatively less 9 players from the auction. And they could be seen pursuing some players like Chris Lynn, Pat Cummins, Shimron Hetmyer, Jaydev Unadkat, Yashaswi Jaiswal etc in the auction room.
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Purse available: Rs 17 crore
.
Slots to be filled: 7 (5 Indians, 2 foreigners)
Auction strategy: Like Mumbai and Chennai, the Hyderabad outfit too has chosen to retain several of its core players apart from Shakib al Hasan, who has been banned by the ICC for failing to report a bookie approach. They may look for someone like Chris Morris or Sam Curran to fill the void.
6. Delhi Capitals
Purse available: Rs 27.85 crore
Slots to be filled: 11 (6 Indians and 5 foreigners)
Auction strategy: They have a relatively settled side under skipper Shreyas Iyer and has beefed up the batting line-up acquiring Ajinkya Rahane from Rajasthan Royals. They might be looking for an all-rounder and a couple of spinners and a middle-order batsman to support the existing eco-system. Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Rahul Tewatia etc can come in their radar.
7. Rajasthan Royals
Purse available: Rs 28.9 crore
Slots to be filled: 11 (7 Indians, 4 foreigners)
Auction strategy: After letting go Ajinkya Rahane, the Royals may look for a solid Indian batsman and they may eye Robin Uthappa, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rohan Kadam or Priyam Garg and eye a profitable investment.
8. Kolkata Knight Riders
Purse available: Rs 35.65 crore
Slots to be filled: 11 (7 Indians and 4 foreigners)
Auction strategy: They may buy back Chris Lynn at a lesser price using the RTM card. And they had also let go Robin Uthappa and Piyush Chawla. In that context, they may eye West Indian openers Lendl Simmons or Evin Lewis, Afghanistan chinaman bowler Noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Rahul Tewatia etc to beef up the squad. Pat Cummins too could evince some interest from KKR.