IPL Auction 2023: 5 teams that have work to do

The defending champion will be in an enviable position in the auction as it only has to make minor changes to its winning squad.

Friday's IPL mini-auction in Kochi will see 10 teams fill up 87 vacant spots with each franchise having its strategies. Cameron Green will no doubt be the most wanted man in the auction, as he is amongst the top five foreign players in demand after his stellar performances for Australia.

While no team has disclosed its strategy ahead of the auction, we take a look at some of the teams that might make some interesting moves.

Note: The amount displayed is the team's available purse value and the "Slots to fill" displays vacant positions in the squad with foreign slots in brackets.

Sunrisers Hyderabad - (Rs. 42.25 Crore, Slots to fill: 13 [4]) 

SRH has the biggest purse heading into the auction as it has released some big names ahead of the season including former captain Kane Williamson. This presents the franchise with the opportunity for a complete revolution of its squad, and it has 13 spots to fill.

IPL Auction 2023: The top five foreign players in demand

They will look to find options at the top after the team released left-handed opener David Warner ahead of the 2022 season, and a captain to replace Williamson. The likes of Joe Root, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, and Mayank Agarwal will all be on SRH's radar.

While its bowling unit is fairly sorted, the team will also want some all-rounder options to bolster its middle order. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan and Zimbabwe's Sikander Raza could be excellent additions to the squad, as the duo will bring their street smartness to a team that lacks evidently in that area.

Kolkata Knight Riders - ( Rs. 7.05 Crore, Slots to fill: 11 [3])

KKR is in a bit of a pickle as it has 11 slots to fill but with the smallest remaining purse in the cohort. This means the franchise does not have the luxury of going after marquee foreign talent.

KKR might go local as it will look to add Indian fast bowlers to the squad to support all-rounders like Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, and Shardul Thakur. The 2-time IPL champion already has quality quicks in its roster such as the express Lockie Ferguson and the swing master Tim Southee. However, the Kiwi duo might not make it to the XI as Sunil Narine and Russell are guaranteed foreign starters.

KKR's current spinning options are pretty good with Narine and Varun Chakravarthy as first-choice slow bowlers.

Royal Challengers Bangalore - (Rs. 8.75 Crore, Slots to fill: 7 [2])

RCB is the only other side with a single-digit remaining purse value and will have to fill up to 7 vacant positions. This almost completely rules it out of the race for the likes of Sam Curran, Ben Stokes, Nicholas Pooran, and other in-demand foreign stars.

However, looking at the squad RCB is not in desperate need of a marquee signing. It has a strong batting unit comprising captain Faf Du Plessis, Finn Allen, Glenn Maxwell, and the great Virat Kohli. Meanwhile, its bowling unit boasts Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, and Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga to name a few.

The team could do with a couple of bowling options, especially fast bowlers, and could target former player Kyle Jamieson, Joshua Little, and Reece Topley. Australian spinner Adam Zampa could also be a useful addition who could come cheap.

Also Read: CSK strategy for the post-Dhoni era 

Gujarat Titans - (Rs. 19.25 Crore, Slots to fill: 7 [3])

The defending champion will enter the auction to make only minor adjustments as the squad is packed with T20 specialists. If there are two areas they'll pay attention to, it would be to get one fast bowler and a backup all-rounder for Vijay Shankar.

The Titans released the rapid Lockie Ferguson, who now plies his trade for KKR, and could replace him with one of Reece Topley, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Wayne Parnell, Daniel Sams, and Joshua Little.

The champion could also entice one of Stokes, Curran, and Green to join its winning squad owing to its sizable purse.

Mumbai Indians - (Rs. 20.55 Crore, Slots to fill: 9 [3])

One of its most iconic players Kieron Pollard called time on his career when he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in November. his departure means MI will go all out for a power-hitting all-rounder to fill his big boots.

However, it could end up on the losing side of a bidding war if multiple teams put their hat in the ring for Green, Stokes, and Curran; who are all the perfect replacements for Pollard given its small purse size for 9 slots.

Given it has retained its core players such as Tim David, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Jasprit Bumrah, MI could also be on the lookout for an Indian spinning option.