The Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction will be held in Kochi on December 23 (Friday).
A total of 405 players will go under the hammer out of which 10 are from Kerala. A glance at the Kerala players in the fray.
1. Rohan Kunnummal
The opener has been in fine form on the domestic circuit for the past couple of years. The 24-year-old became the first Kerala player to score three successive hundreds in the Ranji trophy last season. He also had the distinction of being the first Kerala player to score a ton in the Duleep Trophy this season. The right-hander is a free-flowing batsman,who is at home in all three versions of the game.
2. Mohammed Azharuddeen
The wicketkeeper-batter is a match-winner on his day. The 28-year-old was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2021, but did not get a chance to showcase his skills.
3. K M Asif
The pacer was released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the auction. The 29-year-old has played three IPL games for CSK.
4. S Midhun
The leggie is one of the highly rated T20 bowlers on the domestic circuit. The 28-year-old has so far played one IPL game for Rajasthan Royals.
5. Sachin Baby
The seasoned middle-order batter has played 19 IPL games so far. The left-hander, who will tun 34 on Sunday, has been part of Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squads in the past.
6. Shoun Roger
The 20-year-old is an exciting prospect. The talented batter made his first-class debut in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Jharkhand at Ranchi.He can also chip in with his off-spin bowling.
7. Vishnu Vinod
The swashbuckling batter has been unlucky to have only three IPL games under his belt. The wicketkeeper, who can also bowl if needed, did not get a single chance despite being part of Delhi Capitals and SRH squads in the last couple of seasons. At 29, Vishnu will be hoping for a change of fortunes in the next IPL and the auction will be the first step towards that.
8. Basil Thampi
The pacer has played 25 IPL games. He featured in five matches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022. The 29-year-old has also played for Gujarat Lions and SRH.
9. Vaisakh Chandran
The off-spinning all-rounder made a dream debut in the Syed Mushtaq Trophy T20 tournament earlier this season. His figures of 4/11 set up Kerala's 53-run win over Karnataka. The 26-year-old is a handy batter too.
10. Abdul Bazith
He is another off-spinning all-rounder who caught the eye during the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 24-year-old is a useful offie and a hard-hitting batter.
