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Ahead of the Tata IPL Mega Auctions on Star Sports, scheduled from November 24th to 25th, former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Manjrekar shared their insights on the likely destinations for top players like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, David Warner, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammad Shami. Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Auctions, hosted the exclusive discussion as the experts weighed in on potential strategies and team interests.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports about the upcoming IPL Auctions, Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar discussed Rishabh Pant's potential IPL future. He said, 'The auction dynamics are completely different, so we don't know how it will go. But what I feel is that Delhi would certainly want Rishabh Pant back in their squad. Sometimes, you know, when the player is to be retained, there is a talk between the franchise and the player about the fees that are expected. As you can see, some of the players who have been retained by their franchise, they have gone for more than, say, what the number one retention fee deduction would be. So, clearly, I think maybe there was some disagreement over there. But my feeling is that Delhi definitely would want Rishabh Pant back because they need a captain as well.
Delhi would be, if Rishabh Pant is not in their squad, then they have to look for a new captain as well. So, my feeling is Delhi will definitely go for Rishabh Pant.' In response to a Twitter video featuring Sunil Gavaskar's comments, Rishabh Pant himself replied, tweeting, 'My retention wasn’t about the money for sure that I can say.'
Gavaskar also shared his thoughts on which team might target KL Rahul. He mentioned, 'I do believe that the two south franchises, Bengaluru as well as Chennai, will go for KL Rahul. Maybe even Hyderabad will go, but Bangalore is of course KL Rahul's hometown. So clearly I think he will be enthused, he will be encouraged, he will be wanting to play in front of his home crowd. So Bengaluru might go for KL Rahul.'
CSK to eye on bringing back Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra; PBKS to fight for Arshdeep Singh: Sanjay Manjrekar
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, speaking on the auction, discussed the potential future of David Warner, a global superstar known for his powerful hitting. He said, 'It's been a few years since David Warner's performances have been great. But he is still a great player. When Devon Conway was released in CSK, I'm sure they will buy him back. They are quite influenced by Rachin Ravindra as well. I don't think they will be interested in bringing David Warner into their plans. I don't think David Warner can fit in CSK.'
Manjrekar also analyzed why Punjab Kings might have released Arshdeep Singh and how they could still retain him. He said, 'I believe that they have released a lot of players so that they get some freedom. And the core of the team and the combination of the team should change completely. But they will definitely be interested in Arshdeep Singh. I believe there is a slight difference in today's Arshdeep Singh and 5 years ago's Arshdeep Singh. But he can still give you a wicket with a new ball. And you can still expect from him in the slog overs as well. So although Punjab Kings have released him, they will definitely be after Arshdeep in the mega auctions.'
Manjrekar further addressed Mohammad Shami's recent injury issues and their impact on the auction. He said, 'There will definitely be interest from teams, but given Shami's injury history—and this recent one took a significant amount of time to recover—there’s always a concern about a potential breakdown during the season. If a franchise invests heavily and then loses him mid-season, their options become limited. This concern might lead to a drop in his price tag.'
(With Inputs from Press Release)
