Mega draws at the mega auction: Pant, Starc, Rahul and others in line to earn big
Also on our list of ten: captain fantastic Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep boss-both-ends-of-the-innings Singh, and one Fraser-McGurk who offers a glimpse into the heady future of T20 batting
On the morning of deadline day, Delhi Capitals were unable to close negotiations with their captain Rishabh Pant, who opted to head to the auction instead. Fans and experts alike believe he could be one of the most expensive players at this auction, crossing the INR 20-crore mark.
Why is Pant that valuable? Measured purely in terms of his T20 numbers, Pant doesn't stand out. Counted among the most dangerous batters in Test cricket already, Pant, who is 27, has won just eight Player-of-the-Match awards in his 111-match IPL career which started in 2016.
But Pant has always made us expect something special or freakish, that's his X-factor. Also, alongside DC, several franchises - Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders - are on the lookout for a captain. Pant doubles up as a wicketkeeper-batter, too, a skillset many teams have a vacancy for. DC have the option of buying him back via the right-to-match card (RTM). A top India player, a leadership option, a growing brand, and, importantly, a fan favourite - there is a lot that can drive Pant's bids to escalate quickly.
Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are captaincy options for teams•BCCI