In a mini-auction, not all purchases are made for the starting XI. In some cases, teams are forced to make plans for the bench. The auction dynamics also sometimes make a team hire a player who was not in their plans initially. Hence, although the players have earned a high bid at the auctions, some of them are not guaranteed starters for their respective franchises. Here, we take a look at the list of three expensive players in IPL 2024 Auctions who could be benched.
1) Alzarri Joseph – INR 11. 5 Cr (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
It was a surprise that RCB went too far for Alzarri Joseph. While he is a good bowler, he is not very experienced and might also struggle at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB had retained Reece Topley, who is in good form now. Yes, he is not an all-phase bowler but he is someone who can pick wickets at the top. Lockie Ferguson could be a more reliable option if RCB needs an enforcer. Hence, in the first game, we could see Alzarri on the bench.
2) Kumar Kushagra – INR 7.2 Cr (Delhi Capitals)
Kumar Kushagra is one of the expensive players in IPL 2024 Auctions who could be benched. Whether Rishabh Pant can keep wickets is something that is uncertain as of now. Hence, DC has been planning for a lot of options in this regard.
This is one of the main reasons why they paid INR 7.2 Cr for a player who is not very popular. That said, he might not be guaranteed a spot in the XI. DC might play Harry Brook at No.5 and Axar Patel could take the No.6 slot. We could have an all-rounder at No.7. Hence, Kushagra may not play.
3) Rilee Rossouw – INR 8 Cr (Punjab Kings)
It is clear that Rilee Rossouw was only selected as a backup option for the English players who will not be available at the end of IPL 2024.
However, PBKS spent INR 8 Cr on a backup cricketer. Despite this, PBKS might stick with the South African man as an option on the bench.
