The highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 auction is almost here. On December 23 (Friday), 405 cricketers will go up for auction for 87 spots.
Out of the 405 players, 273 are Indian, 132 are from other countries, and four are from associate nations. At the mini-auction, a number of talented players, including Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies, will be up for grabs.
The Caribbean batter will undoubtedly be in high demand on Friday because he is regarded as one of the cleanest strikers in white-ball cricket.
Pooran was sacked by the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for a robust amount of ₹10.75 crores in the IPL 2022 closeout. Apart from captain Kane Williamson, the southpaw was the team’s most expensive player, but he didn’t make enough money to justify his cost. As a result, the franchise with its headquarters in Hyderabad let him go earlier this year.
A player of Pooran’s caliber will undoubtedly attract numerous potential suitors at the IPL 2023 auction. However, we are of the opinion that IPL franchises should not overspend in order to sign him at the auction. The three reasons are as follows:
#3 His recent poor play for the West Indies
Since Nicholas Pooran took over as the full-time white-ball captain of the West Indies in May of this year, he has played a lot fewer T20Is. The left-hander, who plays a crucial role in his country’s team, has struggled to score runs recently.
In his last 14 T20I innings for the West Indies, Pooran has scored only 234 runs at a horrid normal of 16.5 and a strike rate of under 129. Pooran, like West Indies, had a terrible T20 World Cup 2022, scoring only 25 runs in three matches.
#2 Very few franchises will be looking for an overseas wicketkeeper at the mini-auction
Only Sunrise Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be desperate for a wicketkeeper. However, KKR and SRH each have access to an overseas option already.
In November, KKR acquired Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans (GT) in exchange for SRH’s Glenn Philips.
There will undoubtedly be competing for an Indian wicketkeeper. As a result, it will not make financial sense for the IPL franchises to pay a large sum for Pooran’s acquisition.
#1 He hasn’t been dependable in the IPL
Pooran has been a part of the IPL since 2019, but despite being a part of the league, he hasn’t been able to score a special match-winning run for any of his IPL teams. The 27-year-old is frequently anticipated to take his team home due to his tremendous talent and hitting skills.
Notwithstanding, Pooran has seldom satisfied his hopes and hasn’t been a trustworthy player for any IPL establishment. The Trinidadian youngster has scored 912 runs at an average of 26.06 in his 46 IPL games so far.
In addition, only one of his four IPL half-century attempts was a winning one. As a result, IPL teams must keep Pooran’s hold-and-cold IPL record in mind before spending money on him.