IPL Auction: Decoding the finances of each team, KKR and RCB in a slump, DC and SRH with biggest advantage

The enthralling extravaganza of IPL is about three months away. But the franchises will be gearing up to cover the exposed areas of their squads as we head on to the auction on December 23.

This year, the auction has a new abode in Kochi. All ten teams will be engaging in a battle to snatch out the prized assets of cricket as some big players will be up for grabs.

But this year, the dynamic of the auction is a bit different. Teams were given the opportunity to reshuffle their squad, with some teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders releasing a host of their former squad members, while teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans have just released 4 players each from their squad.

Hence, the teams that have voided the biggest wage bills, will be going into the auction with a bigger purse and vice-versa.

But still, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals have fallen in contrasting pickles. Kolkata, who let go of 15 players of their squad, have found themselves going into the auction with the lowest budget remaining. Delhi's enigma is a luxurious one. They have just 5 slots left to fill, but have the 6th biggest purse in the auction.

To decode the finances further, let's dig into the finances left of each franchise and how much they can spend per player in the auction. By the end of an IPL auction, each team should have a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 25 players in their squad. Now 18 becomes a thin squad in cricket, especially in a marathon tournament like IPL. Most teams go with a squad size is 22 to 23, hence we will consider 23 as the benchmark, or ideal squad size for each time going into the auction.

Also, another important thing is to consider the number of overseas players slot available for each franchise, given the overseas minimum signing values are often the most expensive.

The following chart will give you a clear idea -

You will probably get an idea by now where this is heading. Now keeping the above chart in mind, you can see what are the disadvantages of Kolkata Knight Riders, and the massive headstart for the likes of Delhi Capitals.

Why KKR have this low budget despite releasing 15 players?

Well, KKR signed three players in the trade window. They traded in Lockie Ferguson for 10 crores from Gujarat Titans, Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 50 lakhs from the Titans, and Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals for a whopping 10.75 crore INR.

Thus, they drained 21.25 crore on just three players and find themselves in a spot of bother at the auction.

KKR continue to make moves in the IPL trading window, bring in Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals in an all-cash deal

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 14, 2022

Why KKR have a huge disadvantage in the auction?

KKR do have 0.64 crore to spend per player in the auction if they want to complete their full 25-man quota. But signing three decent-quality overseas players will take a chunk amount out of it. Most of the overseas players have a starting value of 1 crore. Without even considering the competition from other teams, if they want to sign three capped overseas players, it will take away a minimum of 2.25 crore out of their kitty (the real value will be much more, considering there will be rival bids, here we have also considered overseas players with a base value of 75 lakhs, the maximum base value of overseas players is 2 crore).

Hence it is quite evident that the Kolkata-based franchise will have a quiet auction this time around when it comes to the big players, or even if they raise the paddle, they will mostly be outbid by other franchises. Kolkata fans should stop dreaming of having the likes of Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, Nicholas Pooran and other big names in the team, it's just not happening.

But be assured of players coming in. They have to sign at least four players to get to the minimum quota of 18.

RR and RCB situation in the IPL auction:

Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) also have a low budget, but they are comparatively at a better state than the Knights. RR have an average of 1.46 crore per player while RCB have INR 1.25 crore. But RR do have four overseas slots left, compared to RCB's two. But RCB do have a settled squad this time around with 18 of their core retained. It won't be as problematic as KKR, but they will have to be measured in their approach.

🚨 IPL UPDATE 🚨 : Australian fast bowler Jason Behrendorff has been traded from @RCBTweets to @mipaltan ahead of IPL 2023

⏺️ He was acquired by RCB in the IPL 2022 auction for his base price of INR 75 lakh#Cricket #mumbaiindians #RCB #IPL2023 #SportsNews pic.twitter.com/eO5jzmY9w2

— Sports Yaari (@YaariSports) November 12, 2022

The Big Spenders:

The big spenders are definitely going to be SRH and PBKS, with their monumental purses. Punjab have nine and Sunrisers have thirteen slots left, hence we can expect a busy auction for them.

Punjab do have the added advantage of just 3 overseas slots to fill. Hence they can spend big on some of the Indian players if situations arise, as they will have the potential luxury at that time, unless they go for some whopping buys at the start.

Sunrisers, likewise, will be aiming to flock some decent names into their team after a disastrous last season. They also let go of their dependable captain Kane Williamson, hence a likewise replacement is on the cards for them.

Delhi Capitals' humongous advantage in the IPL Auction:

But amid all the talking, Delhi Capitals may end up having the most satisfying auction of the day. With just 5 slots (1 overseas) left to fill and an INR 19.45 crore budget, the Capitals can go the distance for the specific players they want. They have retained the core and they don't require any major pores to fill. But they can add swagger and flair to the squad still, further bolstering ahead of the next IPL editions. And they can vie for the big attractions and take the risk of going the utmost distance for their targets.

Players like Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Nicholas Pooran and other overseas names are up for grabs. It won't be an issue for DC to pick a couple of names from them according to their preferences, and get their man.

Chennai can also go big in the auction:

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are also in a nice position ahead of the auction. With just two overseas players to fill and a 20.45 crore budget, they can play a huge part in the bidding wars for some of the marquee names. The four-time champions have 18 players already in their squad, and can get to a 23-25 man squad without any financial constraints.

So, as we gear up for the auction, there are a lot of permutations and combinations to do for the franchises. Some can afford to go berserk, some have to remain very smart when it comes to raising the paddle. We will get the answers soon.