Cricket’s wildest cash bonanza is upon us again with the auction for next year’s Indian Premier League taking place on December 23 (8pm AEDT).
Headlined by talented all-rounder Cameron Green, a total of 21 Australians have nominated for their chance to seal a mega payday in cricket’s most lucrative competition.
All eyes will be on Green, who has never played in the IPL but is expected to fetch well over his $360,000 reserve price and become Australian cricket’s next multimillion-dollar man.
But a number of his compatriots also offer plenty of value heading into the auction and could walk away from the night pleasantly surprised.
Below, we look at six Australians who could earn big deals on the night.
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CAMERON GREEN – Reserve: INR 2 crore (approx. $A360k)
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Easily the biggest talking point from an Australian perspective heading into the auction is how much the 23-year-old will go for. And it is a matter of ‘how much’ and not ‘if’ – he’s all but certain to be snapped up at the highest reserve, and is the most likely to be subject to an all-out bidding war. Franchises will be seduced by Green’s prowess as a T20 opener in Indian conditions. He blasted two half-centuries in a three-match series against India in September. His 61 off 30 balls in a successful chase of 209 was especially eye-catching. Green can hit big and, generally speaking, is one of cricket’s brightest talents. Throw in the fact that he can also bowl pace at international standard, and is genuinely one of the world’s best fielders, Green is a ridiculously impressive IPL package. Speaking to foxsports.com.au in October, India legend Ravi Shastri predicted Green would fetch more than 10 crores (approx. $A1.8m).
“He’s a star in the making and he’ll get better and better with experience,” he said. “He’s a tall man, he can smash it, and he’s more than a useful bowler, so he’s got all the tools that are needed for T20.
“He’s got the power, he can smash it a long, long way. So I think he’ll be watched very closely.”
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CHRIS LYNN – Reserve: INR 2 crore (approx. $A360k)
An intriguing subplot on auction night will be whether Lynn can complete the ultimate T20 redemption after a difficult year in the game. Lynn went unsold at 1.5 crore in the last auction, and then found himself dumped by the Brisbane Heat just months later. But the gun-for-hire will be hopeful he’s turned a corner, and done enough to generate interest among IPL franchises once more. Lynn certainly believes he has, as evidenced by the increase in his reserve price. He was among the top batters in last month’s Abu Dhabi T10, while he’s started this summer’s BBL season well having been handed a lifeline by the Adelaide Strikers. In his first three knocks, he’s made 41, 36 and 28 at a strike rate of 120.68. Coincidentally, Lynn will be playing for the Strikers on Friday night, potentially giving him the chance to send the timeliest of reminders to franchises.
JHYE RICHARDSON – Reserve: INR 1.5 crore (approx. $A270k)
In a similar plot to Lynn, Richardson will be hopeful of a return to IPL prominence having suffered a rather drastic decline from his mega $A2.5 million payday two years ago. The WA speedster went to Kings XI Punjab for the massive fee in February 2021, but it proved to be money poorly spent with Richardson playing only three matches that season, taking three wickets at 39.00. Richardson then withdrew from the 2022 auction. But he’s back, and has started the BBL season like a house on fire, which could dramatically boost his value. The 26-year-old has taken 4-9 against the Sixers, and 3-26 against the Hurricanes in his first two matches. He has struck every 6.8 balls and conceded just 4.37 runs-an-over. It’s worth noting that when he earnt $A2.5 million in early 2021, it was fresh from leading the wicket-taking charts in BBL|10. Could history repeat?
DANIEL SAMS — Reserve: INR 75 lakh (approcx. $135k)
Sams might be far away from being one of the biggest international stars on the auction list but, at a reserve price of just $135,000, he could spark plenty of interest. Sams is aiming to play in a fourth season of the IPL having enjoyed his best year yet in the competition. Having mustered just five appearances across 2020 and 2021, 2022 saw him play 11 times for the Mumbai Indians, taking 13 wickets at 28.46. Those aren’t showstopping numbers but, for context, his average was better than Trent Boult and Shardul Thakur, while his economy rate of 8.80 was far better than Andre Russell and Anrich Nortje. Last auction, Mumbai bought Sams for about $480,000 despite his bidding opening up at $185,000. Sams’ reserve price is now even cheaper at about $135,000. He’s also done himself no harm in the early stages of the Big Bash, taking seven wickets at just 15.85 in his first four games for the Sydney Thunder. Expect a bidding war.
LANCE MORRIS — Reserve: INR 30 lakh (approx. $55k)
The 24-year-old speedster has still only played a handful of T20 games over the past three years but has generated plenty of excitement in Australian circles this summer. Morris was called into Australia’s Test squad during the West Indies series and came close to making a shock debut after Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out of Adelaide. One more injury and he would’ve played. Most exciting about Morris is his speed. He’s been clocked at 153km/h during the Sheffield Shield and once broke Shaun Marsh’s bat while playing in the BBL. Even not at full speed he appears to have plenty of pace, noticeably troubling WA teammate Green in the Adelaide Oval nets after his Test call-up. His involvement with the Australians, however, means he hasn’t played in the BBL this summer which could hurt his value. Even so, he’s not exactly expensive. Morris’ reserve price is just $55,000 and, if the Indian franchises have taken notice of the hype on these shores, he could be viewed as a bargain buy — even if he fetches well above that fee.
HAYDEN KERR — Reserve: INR 20 lakh (approx. $35k)
Slightly out of left-field is 26-year-old Sydney Sixer Hayden Kerr, who has somewhat flown under the radar heading into the auction. That can happen when listed at the lowest reserve price of $35,000. Last BBL season, the all-rounder starred for the Sixers with a batting average of 38.00 and strike rate of 144.76, while he topped the club’s wicket-taking charts with 25 at 15.00. Only Peter Siddle (30 at 17.73) took more in the competition. Kerr’s season included making an unbeaten 98 off 58 balls in a thrilling last-ball win over the Adelaide Strikers for a spot in the final. His all-round talent and ability to execute under immense pressure is surely worth more than $35,000. More recently, he showcased some impressive batting down the order by making 42 from 35 balls against the Perth Scorchers from No.7. His all-time T20 batting average is 22.56 with a strike rate of 130.79, while he’s taken 41 wickets at 20.02 — strong numbers that make him an intriguing prospect at the auction.
FULL LIST OF AUSTRALIANS IN THE 2023 IPL AUCTION
INR 2 crore (approx. $A360,000): Cam Green, Travis Head, Chris Lynn
INR 1.5 crore (approx. $A270,000: Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa, Riley Meredith, Sean Abbott, Nathan Coulter-Nile
INR 1 crore (approx. $A180,000) : Andrew Tye, Moises Henriques
INR 75 lakh (approx. $A135,000) : Daniel Sams, Josh Philippe, D’Arcy Short
INR 50 lakh (approx. $A90,000): Ben McDermott, Ben Dwarshuis, Billy Stanlake
INR 30 lakh (approx. $A55,000): Lance Morris
INR 20 lakh (approx. $A35,000): Hayden Kerr, Jack Prestwidge, Peter Hatzoglou, Nathan McAndrew
AUSTRALIANS ALREADY RETAINED
Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
David Warner (Delhi Capitals)
Mitch Marsh (Delhi Capitals)
Tim David (Mumbai Indians)
Jason Behrendorff (Mumbai Indians)
Matthew Wade (Gujurat Titans)
Marcus Stoinis (Lucknow Super Giants)
Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings).
