Which Is The Strongest Team After The IPL 5 Auction?
The IPL 5 auction had its share of surprises. Often we feel that some player has fetched a price that’s higher than his real worth. But the true worth of the player can only be judged when you take a look at the composition of the final team after he has been included.
Take a look at the purchase of Ravindra Jadeja, for instance. Two teams quoted $2 million for the India all-rounder, with Chennai Super Kings eventually winning the player on the tie-breaker (decided by obtaining secret quotes from the competing teams).
Here is what Chennai Super Kings’ best eleven is likely to be once Jadeja is added to the mix: M Vijay, M Hussey, Badrinath, Raina, Dhoni(WK)(C), R Jadeja, A Morkel, D Bravo, R Ashwin, D Bollinger, Jakati.
See what I mean? Jadeja could provide the winning edge to what is an already strong team, with value added in bowling and batting alike. This team bats deep, with nine batsmen capable of winning match-winning knocks. And look at the bowling options at Dhoni’s disposal. New ball operators in the form of Morkel and Bollinger, spinners in the form of Ashwin, Jakati and Jadeja, with change bowlers in the form of Raina, Bravo and Hussey!
Now, let’s take a peek at Mumbai Indians, after the auction:
Tendulkar, Gibbs, Rohit Sharma, Rayudu, Suryakumar Yadav, Pollard, Dinesh Karthick, James Frankilin/Thissara Perera, Pragyan Ojha, Lasith Malinga, RP Singh.
That’s an impressive line-up, though maybe the bowling – apart from Malinga – does not inspire fear. But where this team scores is in its bench strength comprising the likes of Michell Johnson, Clint Mckay, Aiden Blizard, Abu Nachim, Sarul Kanwar, T Suman, Ali Murtaza, and Harbhajan Singh.
Delhi Daredevils are another outfit that were excited about their buys at the auction, and this is what the side looks like, now:
Sehwag, Warner, Wade, Pietersen/Jayawardene, N Ojha, VG Rao/ R Bist, I Pathan, M Morkel, U Yadav, A Dinda, V Aaron.
That team has a solid top order but the worst that you could say about it is that the bowling lacks variety and is over-reliant on pace.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are always in the news, for right or wrong reasons, and the IPL auction was no exception, with Vinay Kumar joining the million dollar club. Was he worth that much; judge for yourself from the line-up of eleven men:
Dilshan, Gayle, Kohli, de Villiers, Sourab Tiwary, Pujara, Mayank Agrawal, Zaheer Khan, Vinay Kumar, Vettori, Arvind.
RCB are another team that appear to have everything needed to lift the IPL crown: sensational batsmen, wicket taking bowlers and all-rounders.
That brings us back to the unanswered question, who will win IPL 5? Time, as ever, will provide us with an answer.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Jinxatious is the Chief Editor of SportingAttitude.com
An avid writer, on an eclectic range of subjects, he brings to bear editorial experience garnered with a national newspaper in South-East Asia. He also has sportscasting experience, as a cricket commentator, and his passion for sport extends beyond Cricket, to Football, Tennis, and Olympic Sports.
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
