Let`s take a look at the top 5 purchases at the IPL 2021 player auction.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
How`s that for numbers ?? Here are the ?5️⃣ buys in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Vivo_India?ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">@Vivo_India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/SPagm8laZo">pic.twitter.com/SPagm8laZo</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1362412299617730566?ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script>

Let`s take a look at the top 5 purchases at the IPL 2021 player auction.

How`s that for numbers ??Here are the ?5️⃣ buys in the @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/SPagm8laZo
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021




Finally the last bid, Mumbai Indians bag Arjun Tendulkar at a base price of Rs 20 lakh. Pic/ AFP


At base price of Rs 1 crore, Hanuma Vihari remains unsold.

At base price of Rs 1 crore, Hanuma Vihari remains unsold.

Harbhajan Singh to don purple and gold as he is sold this time round to KKR for Rs 2 crore. Pic/ AFP


Kedar Jadhav sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 2 crore. Pic/ AFP


Karun Nair moves to KKR at his base price of Rs 50 lakh.

Karun Nair moves to KKR at his base price of Rs 50 lakh.

Mumbai Indians bag James Neesham for Rs 50 lakh. Pic. AFP


Indian cricketer Siddhesh Lad goes unsold.

Indian cricketer Siddhesh Lad goes unsold.

Daniel Christian, at a base price of Rs 75 lakh, sold to RCB for Rs 4.8 crore after bidding war with KKR.

Daniel Christian, at a base price of Rs 75 lakh, sold to RCB for Rs 4.8 crore after bidding war with KKR.

New Zealand star Kyle Jamieson was another huge name at the IPL players auction. At a base price of Rs 75 lakh, the Kiwi was bought by RCB for a whopping Rs 15 crore after fierce bidding with Punjab Kings. Pic/ AFP


India`s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara was sold to Chennai Super Kings at his base price of Rs 50 lakh. Pic/ AFP


Australia star batsman Shaun Marsh goes unsold for Rs 1.5 crore. Hard-hitter Corey Anderson also unsold at Rs 75 lakh.


At a base price of Rs 40 lakh, Australia`s Riley Meredith sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 8 crore.

At a base price of Rs 40 lakh, Australia`s Riley Meredith sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 8 crore.

Krishnappa Gowtham, at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, sold to Chennai Super Kings for Rs 9.25 crore. Pic/ AFP


India veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh goes unsold with a base price of Rs 2 crore.


Australian cricketer Jhye Richardson was another surprise at the IPL player auction. At a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, he was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 14 crore. Pic/ AFP


At a base price of Rs 75 lakh, South African cricketer Chris Morris was the big surprise as he was bought for a whopping Rs 16.25 crore by Rajasthan Royals.


England spinner Moeen Ali, at a base price of Rs 2 crore, sold to Chennai Super Kings for Rs 7 crore after another bidding battle with Punjab Kings. (Pic/ AFP)


RCB wins bidding war against CSK to bag star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for a whopping Rs 14.25 crore.


Australian cricketer Steve Smith with a base price at Rs 2 crore was purchased by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2.20 crore


Here`s the budget and slots available with each IPL team Mumbai Indians: budget - INR 15.35 crore. 7 slots available. 4 overseas slot Chennai Super Kings: budget - INR 19.9 crore. 6 slots available. 1 overseas slot Kolkata Knight Riders: budget - INR 10.75 crore. 8 slots available. 2 overseas slot&nbsp; Punjab Kings: budget - INR 53.2 crore. 9 slots available. 5 overseas slot &nbsp; Delhi Capitals: budget - INR 13.4 crore. 8 slots available. 3 overseas slot Sunrisers Hyderabad: budget - INR 10.75 crore. 3 slots available. 1 overseas slot&nbsp; Royal Challengers Bangalore: budget - INR 35.4 crore. 11 slots available. 3 overseas slot&nbsp; Rajasthan Royals: budget - INR 37.85 crore. 9 slots available. 3 overseas slot
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Stage set for VIVO <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> 2021 ?? 8️⃣ franchises to bid for some of the best players in the world in a few hours from now?? Are you ready? <a href="https://t.co/EzYVkHUKRA">pic.twitter.com/EzYVkHUKRA</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1362312369725001728?ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script>

Here`s the budget and slots available with each IPL teamMumbai Indians: budget - INR 15.35 crore. 7 slots available. 4 overseas slotChennai Super Kings: budget - INR 19.9 crore. 6 slots available. 1 overseas slotKolkata Knight Riders: budget - INR 10.75 crore. 8 slots available. 2 overseas slot&nbsp;Punjab Kings: budget - INR 53.2 crore. 9 slots available. 5 overseas slot &nbsp;Delhi Capitals: budget - INR 13.4 crore. 8 slots available. 3 overseas slotSunrisers Hyderabad: budget - INR 10.75 crore. 3 slots available. 1 overseas slot&nbsp;Royal Challengers Bangalore: budget - INR 35.4 crore. 11 slots available. 3 overseas slot&nbsp;Rajasthan Royals: budget - INR 37.85 crore. 9 slots available. 3 overseas slot

Stage set for VIVO #IPLAuction 2021 ??8️⃣ franchises to bid for some of the best players in the world in a few hours from now??Are you ready? pic.twitter.com/EzYVkHUKRA
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021




And the IPL 2021 player auction concludes with some major records broken and some set. That`s all, folks!

And the IPL 2021 player auction concludes with some major records broken and some set. That`s all, folks!

Venkatesh Iyer sold to KKR at Rs 20 lakh. Pawan Negi also moves to KKR for Rs 50 lakh. Meanwhile Akash Singh sold to RR for Rs 20 lakh.

Venkatesh Iyer sold to KKR at Rs 20 lakh. Pawan Negi also moves to KKR for Rs 50 lakh. Meanwhile Akash Singh sold to RR for Rs 20 lakh.

KKR also buys Ben Cutting for Rs 75 lakh, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman goes to SRH for Rs 1.5 crore.

KKR also buys Ben Cutting for Rs 75 lakh, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman goes to SRH for Rs 1.5 crore.

Indian players Pratyush Singh goes unsold while Punjab Kings buys Saurabh Kumar for Rs 20 lakh.

Indian players Pratyush Singh goes unsold while Punjab Kings buys Saurabh Kumar for Rs 20 lakh.

Mumbai Indians also buy Yudhvir Charak and Marco Jansen for Rs 20 lakh each.

Mumbai Indians also buy Yudhvir Charak and Marco Jansen for Rs 20 lakh each.

Chris Green, Isuru Udana, George Linde and Chaitanya Bishnoi go unsold.

Chris Green, Isuru Udana, George Linde and Chaitanya Bishnoi go unsold.

Kuldip Yadav bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 20 lakh while Scott Kuggeleijn goes unsold.

Kuldip Yadav bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 20 lakh while Scott Kuggeleijn goes unsold.

Indian cricketer M. Harisankar Reddy sold to Chennai Super Kings for Rs 20 lakh while Simarjeet Singh goes unsold..

Indian cricketer M. Harisankar Reddy sold to Chennai Super Kings for Rs 20 lakh while Simarjeet Singh goes unsold..

Suyash Prabhudessai and KS Bharat sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 20 lakh each.

Suyash Prabhudessai and KS Bharat sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 20 lakh each.

Sri Lanka`s Thisara Perera and Australia`s Sean Abbott, Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott go unsold.

Sri Lanka`s Thisara Perera and Australia`s Sean Abbott, Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott go unsold.

KL Shrijith and G Periyaswamy goes unsold. Fabian Allen sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 75 lakh.

KL Shrijith and G Periyaswamy goes unsold. Fabian Allen sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 75 lakh.

And we`re back for session 2 of the IPL 2021 player auction. Utkarsh Singh with a base price of 20 lakh bought by Punjab Kings. Vaibhav Arora sold to KKR for Rs 20 lakh.&nbsp;

And we`re back for session 2 of the IPL 2021 player auction. Utkarsh Singh with a base price of 20 lakh bought by Punjab Kings. Vaibhav Arora sold to KKR for Rs 20 lakh.&nbsp;

Billy Stanlake and Jason Behrendorff, at a base price of Rs 1 crore, unsold. At base price Rs 50 lakh, Mitchell McCleneghan goes unsold too. And we break for high tea and resume at 7.15 pm IST.

Billy Stanlake and Jason Behrendorff, at a base price of Rs 1 crore, unsold. At base price Rs 50 lakh, Mitchell McCleneghan goes unsold too. And we break for high tea and resume at 7.15 pm IST.

India pacer Mohit Sharma and West Indies pacer Oshane Thomas go unsold too.

India pacer Mohit Sharma and West Indies pacer Oshane Thomas go unsold too.

India pacer Varun Aaron, at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, went unsold at the auction.

India pacer Varun Aaron, at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, went unsold at the auction.

Moises Henriques, at base price of Rs 1 crore, purchased by Punjab Kings for Rs 4.2 crore.

Moises Henriques, at base price of Rs 1 crore, purchased by Punjab Kings for Rs 4.2 crore.

At a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, Tom Curran sold to DC for Rs 5.25 crore.

At a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, Tom Curran sold to DC for Rs 5.25 crore.

Ben Cutting goes unsold at Rs 75 lakh.

Ben Cutting goes unsold at Rs 75 lakh.

Pawan Negi and Martin Guptill go unsold.

Pawan Negi and Martin Guptill go unsold.

Devon Conway and Darren Bravo remain unsold as well.

Devon Conway and Darren Bravo remain unsold as well.

And we begin with capped batsmen. West Indies player Rovman Powell goes unsold at Rs 50 lakh.

And we begin with capped batsmen. West Indies player Rovman Powell goes unsold at Rs 50 lakh.

K.C. Cariappa sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 20 lakh. And we break for 10 mins.

K.C. Cariappa sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 20 lakh. And we break for 10 mins.

Jagadeesha Suchith, at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, goes to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 30 lakh.

Jagadeesha Suchith, at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, goes to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 30 lakh.

Now for the uncapped spinners. M Siddharth sold to DC for Rs 20 lakh while Karanveer Singh goes unsold.

Now for the uncapped spinners. M Siddharth sold to DC for Rs 20 lakh while Karanveer Singh goes unsold.

Chetan Sakariya sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.2 crore. Pacer Kuldeep Sen goes unsold at his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Chetan Sakariya sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.2 crore. Pacer Kuldeep Sen goes unsold at his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Ankit Singh Rajput at a base price of Rs 30 lakh goes unsold. Lukman Hussain Meriwala goes to Delhi Capitals for Rs 20 lakh.

Ankit Singh Rajput at a base price of Rs 30 lakh goes unsold. Lukman Hussain Meriwala goes to Delhi Capitals for Rs 20 lakh.

Bidding for the uncapped bowlers begin... Mujtaba Yousuf is first up and he goes unsold.

Bidding for the uncapped bowlers begin... Mujtaba Yousuf is first up and he goes unsold.

Mohammed Azharuddeen sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore at his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Kedar Devdhar and Avi Barot go unsold.

Mohammed Azharuddeen sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore at his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Kedar Devdhar and Avi Barot go unsold.

Sheldon Jackson is next and KKR buys him at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Sheldon Jackson is next and KKR buys him at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Now for the uncapped wicket-keepers...Vishnu Vinod goes to Delhi Capitals for opening bid of Rs 20 lakh.

Now for the uncapped wicket-keepers...Vishnu Vinod goes to Delhi Capitals for opening bid of Rs 20 lakh.

Ayush Badoni and Venkatesh Iyer went unsold.

Ayush Badoni and Venkatesh Iyer went unsold.

Shahrukh Khan, at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, was purchased by Punjab Kings for Rs 5.25 crore after a bidding war with RCB.

Shahrukh Khan, at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, was purchased by Punjab Kings for Rs 5.25 crore after a bidding war with RCB.

Delhi Capitals but Ripal Patel for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Delhi Capitals but Ripal Patel for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

As set 7 begins, Atit Sheth goes unsold at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

As set 7 begins, Atit Sheth goes unsold at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Indian cricketers Himmat Singh and Vishnu Solanki go unsold as well.

Indian cricketers Himmat Singh and Vishnu Solanki go unsold as well.

Rahul Gahlaut went unsold at his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Rajat Patidar was bought by RCB at his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Rahul Gahlaut went unsold at his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Rajat Patidar was bought by RCB at his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Sachin Baby bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Sachin Baby bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore at a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

And we`re back! Indian cricketer Himanshu Rana at base price Rs 20 lakh goes unsold. C. Hari Nishaanth at a base price of Rs 20 lakh also goes unsold.

And we`re back! Indian cricketer Himanshu Rana at base price Rs 20 lakh goes unsold. C. Hari Nishaanth at a base price of Rs 20 lakh also goes unsold.

We have a five-minute break, but we will be back soon. Stay tuned!

We have a five-minute break, but we will be back soon. Stay tuned!

India spinner Piyush Chawla sold to Mumbai Indians for Rs 2.4 crore.

India spinner Piyush Chawla sold to Mumbai Indians for Rs 2.4 crore.

Afghanistan cricketer Mujeeb Ur Rahman went unsold as well.

Afghanistan cricketer Mujeeb Ur Rahman went unsold as well.

England spinner Adil Rashid, at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, goes unsold. India bowler Rahul Sharma, with a base price of Rs 50 lakh, met with the same fate.

England spinner Adil Rashid, at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, goes unsold. India bowler Rahul Sharma, with a base price of Rs 50 lakh, met with the same fate.

India pacer Umesh Yadav was sold at his base price of Rs 1 crore to Delhi Capitals.

India pacer Umesh Yadav was sold at his base price of Rs 1 crore to Delhi Capitals.

Pacer Sheldon Cottrell goes unsold.

Pacer Sheldon Cottrell goes unsold.

At a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, Nathan Coulter-Nile bought for Rs 5 crore by Mumbai Indians.

At a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, Nathan Coulter-Nile bought for Rs 5 crore by Mumbai Indians.

Bangladesh`s star cricketer Mustafizur Rahman bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1 crore.

Bangladesh`s star cricketer Mustafizur Rahman bought by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1 crore.

New Zealand cricketer Adam Milne goes onboard to Mumbai Indians for Rs 3.2 crore.

New Zealand cricketer Adam Milne goes onboard to Mumbai Indians for Rs 3.2 crore.

Australian cricketer Alex Carey at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore goes unsold. England`s Sam Billings, with a base price of Rs 2 crore and Sri Lanka`s Kusal Perera at Rs 50 lakh go unsold too.

Australian cricketer Alex Carey at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore goes unsold. England`s Sam Billings, with a base price of Rs 2 crore and Sri Lanka`s Kusal Perera at Rs 50 lakh go unsold too.

Set 3 begins with the wicket-keepers as New Zealand`s Glenn Phillips at base price Rs 50 lakh goes unsold.

Set 3 begins with the wicket-keepers as New Zealand`s Glenn Phillips at base price Rs 50 lakh goes unsold.

England cricketer Dawid Malan was sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 1.5 crore.

England cricketer Dawid Malan was sold to Punjab Kings for Rs 1.5 crore.

Entering the auction at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, Indian cricketer Shivam Dube bagged by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 4.4 crore.

Entering the auction at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, Indian cricketer Shivam Dube bagged by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 4.4 crore.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 3.2 crore.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 3.2 crore.

Indian cricketer Kedar Jadhav goes unsold at a base price of Rs 2 crore.

Indian cricketer Kedar Jadhav goes unsold at a base price of Rs 2 crore.

Indian cricketer Hanuma Vihari goes unsold at Rs 1 crore as IPL auction set one ends.

Indian cricketer Hanuma Vihari goes unsold at Rs 1 crore as IPL auction set one ends.

Evin Lewis goes unsold. Aaron Finch at base price of 1 crore goes unsold.

Evin Lewis goes unsold. Aaron Finch at base price of 1 crore goes unsold.

Jason Roy - base price Rs 2 crore - goes unsold.

Jason Roy - base price Rs 2 crore - goes unsold.

Alex Hales at base price Rs 1.50 crore too, goes unsold.

Alex Hales at base price Rs 1.50 crore too, goes unsold.

Karun Nair &nbsp;- the first player at the auction at base 50 Lakh goes unsold.

Karun Nair &nbsp;- the first player at the auction at base 50 Lakh goes unsold.

Former India batsman and IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel warmly welcomes owners and franchises to the IPL players auction in Chennai and also goes on to confirm that VIVO is back as the title sponsor for IPL 2021.

Former India batsman and IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel warmly welcomes owners and franchises to the IPL players auction in Chennai and also goes on to confirm that VIVO is back as the title sponsor for IPL 2021.

As the IPL 2021 auction is all set to begin, here are some photos from the event in Chennai.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
?? Snapshots from the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ VIVO IPL Player Auction Briefing here in Chennai. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/U41oDD2bfp">pic.twitter.com/U41oDD2bfp</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1362087021368410116?ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script>

As the IPL 2021 auction is all set to begin, here are some photos from the event in Chennai.

?? Snapshots from the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ VIVO IPL Player Auction Briefing here in Chennai. #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/U41oDD2bfp
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 17, 2021




<h2>Bidding wars</h2>
There could be mini bidding wars with their lowest base price bracket of Rs 20 lakh. Sachin Tendulkar&rsquo;s son Arjun, a left-arm fast bowler who made his senior Mumbai team debut this year, is bracketed in the Rs 20 lakh category and the kind of traction that the young kid brings along could mean that some bidders will bid for him.

Bidding wars
There could be mini bidding wars with their lowest base price bracket of Rs 20 lakh. Sachin Tendulkar&rsquo;s son Arjun, a left-arm fast bowler who made his senior Mumbai team debut this year, is bracketed in the Rs 20 lakh category and the kind of traction that the young kid brings along could mean that some bidders will bid for him.

IPL shared the all-new look at the much-covted Indian Premier League 2021 trophy on their Twitter handle. Here`s a look at the IPL 2021 trophy
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trophy in all its glory ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/XBcC0NUkaX">pic.twitter.com/XBcC0NUkaX</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1362318250718109696?ref_src=twsrc-Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script>

IPL shared the all-new look at the much-covted Indian Premier League 2021 trophy on their Twitter handle. Here`s a look at the IPL 2021 trophy

Trophy in all its glory ?? #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/XBcC0NUkaX
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021




<h2>Preity Zinta: We have slots to fill and will do our best</h2>
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show, IPL Auction: Curtain Raiser, Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta talks about the upcoming IPL 2021 Auction: &ldquo;It is a little nerve-wracking, we are kind of excited &ndash; we do have a big purse this time and probably the biggest purse. There are certain slots that we absolutely need to fill, and we are going to try to do our best. Auctions are usually very dynamic; you don&rsquo;t know who is going to lose the plot. If one team decided to you know, NO ---There&rsquo;s always this balance, you keep thinking you can put someone here &ndash; it&rsquo;s a whole thing that you have to look at; they are really dynamic. We have done a lot of homework this time and I&rsquo;m crossing my fingers; we can focus on that. With all the COVID protocols, it&rsquo;s been a little tough, but we will know what&rsquo;s going to happen soon. Let&rsquo;s wait and watch.&rdquo;

Preity Zinta: We have slots to fill and will do our best
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show, IPL Auction: Curtain Raiser, Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta talks about the upcoming IPL 2021 Auction: &ldquo;It is a little nerve-wracking, we are kind of excited &ndash; we do have a big purse this time and probably the biggest purse. There are certain slots that we absolutely need to fill, and we are going to try to do our best. Auctions are usually very dynamic; you don&rsquo;t know who is going to lose the plot. If one team decided to you know, NO ---There&rsquo;s always this balance, you keep thinking you can put someone here &ndash; it&rsquo;s a whole thing that you have to look at; they are really dynamic. We have done a lot of homework this time and I&rsquo;m crossing my fingers; we can focus on that. With all the COVID protocols, it&rsquo;s been a little tough, but we will know what&rsquo;s going to happen soon. Let&rsquo;s wait and watch.&rdquo;

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show IPL Auction: Curtain Raiser, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara expresses his thoughts and plans on being part of Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2021 as Director of Cricket, &ldquo;It feels quite good. It&rsquo;s going to be an interesting role, an interesting challenge, something that I hadn&rsquo;t really thought of for a while, but when the offer did come, it took me a while to really understand what it was about and then, say yes, so pretty excited. (On domestic bowlers) A quality local pacer will be on the list of most franchises. They are very valuable when you can get them, whether it is Umesh Yadav or someone else, may be unheard of, who knows. There are choices out there. Super-fast-bowlers are very important, so yes, there will be attention on them from all the franchises. (On batting) I won&rsquo;t be able to give you a pinpoint accuracy on who we&rsquo;re looking at, but there are lots of batsmen out there. We have vacancies that we try to fill &ndash; you know combinations that we are looking at, and so, will be the other side, so we are keeping our eyes open to see who best fits the role.&rdquo;

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show IPL Auction: Curtain Raiser, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara expresses his thoughts and plans on being part of Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2021 as Director of Cricket, &ldquo;It feels quite good. It&rsquo;s going to be an interesting role, an interesting challenge, something that I hadn&rsquo;t really thought of for a while, but when the offer did come, it took me a while to really understand what it was about and then, say yes, so pretty excited. (On domestic bowlers) A quality local pacer will be on the list of most franchises. They are very valuable when you can get them, whether it is Umesh Yadav or someone else, may be unheard of, who knows. There are choices out there. Super-fast-bowlers are very important, so yes, there will be attention on them from all the franchises. (On batting) I won&rsquo;t be able to give you a pinpoint accuracy on who we&rsquo;re looking at, but there are lots of batsmen out there. We have vacancies that we try to fill &ndash; you know combinations that we are looking at, and so, will be the other side, so we are keeping our eyes open to see who best fits the role.&rdquo;

<h2>Not going to make a `mark` this auction</h2>
England cricketer Mark Wood has withdrawn his name from the IPL`s longlist on the eve of today`s player auction. Wood`s decision comes in light of spending some quality time with his family at home.

Not going to make a `mark` this auction
England cricketer Mark Wood has withdrawn his name from the IPL`s longlist on the eve of today`s player auction. Wood`s decision comes in light of spending some quality time with his family at home.

<h2>61 slots up for grabs</h2>
With 61 slots across eight franchises up for grabs, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has the maximum, 11 vacancies, to fill with a purse of Rs 35.4 crore while Sunrisers Hyderabad has only three slots available with Rs 10.75 crore in its kitty.

61 slots up for grabs
With 61 slots across eight franchises up for grabs, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has the maximum, 11 vacancies, to fill with a purse of Rs 35.4 crore while Sunrisers Hyderabad has only three slots available with Rs 10.75 crore in its kitty.

Rs 2 crore is the highest reserve price and two Indian players - Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav - and eight overseas players - Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett and Jason Roy have chosen to be slotted in the highest bracket. 12 players are on the auction list with a base price of Rs 1.5 crore. Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav are the two Indian players in the list of 11 cricketers with a base price of Rs 1 crore.


The "mini-auction" this year would see 292 players going under the hammer and all these cricketers have been shortlisted by the eight franchises. However, all the teams do not sit on the same boat and some of the franchises can take it easy in this auction after retaining most of their lineup from the 2020 IPL. A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players, and 3 players from associate nations will be up for grabs in the mini-auction.

The "mini-auction" this year would see 292 players going under the hammer and all these cricketers have been shortlisted by the eight franchises. However, all the teams do not sit on the same boat and some of the franchises can take it easy in this auction after retaining most of their lineup from the 2020 IPL. A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players, and 3 players from associate nations will be up for grabs in the mini-auction.

Welcome to the IPL 2021 players auction live with mid-day.com. Tune in for all live updates on the IPL 2021 player auction.

Welcome to the IPL 2021 players auction live with mid-day.com. Tune in for all live updates on the IPL 2021 player auction.

The IPL 2021 player auction kicked off in Chennai today as the eight franchises began bidding to add more quality to their squads and plug the gaps

The IPL 2021 player auction kicked off in Chennai today as the eight franchises began bidding to add more quality to their squads and plug the gaps

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IPL 2021 auction: Chris Morris costliest buy ever; MI bag Arjun Tendulkar

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IPL 2021 auction: Chris Morris costliest buy ever; MI bag Arjun Tendulkar

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