IPL 2020 is on the verge of completion as the fans are already looking forward to the 2021 edition of the league now. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has announced that the 14th IPL season will take place next year in the April-May window only.
For the first time in IPL history, the fans will get to witness two IPL seasons back to back in the space of six months. However, one should also note that the cricket universe had to spend over 14 months without an IPL match because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A lot of plans changed owing to the unprecedented situation. The IPL Governing Council had plans for a mega auction next year. While there is no official update on that as of now, it is likely that a mega auction will happen soon.
In case the mega auction occurs before the 2021 edition, a few players’ salary will get hiked a lot and here are the five names who will most probably earn a better deal.
Devdutt Padikkal – Royal Challengers Bangalore
If a mega auction happens, it would mean that the franchise could retain only three players before it. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are two names which RCB will never release. For the third spot, there are many names in contention, but Yuzvendra Chahal looks like the most likely candidate.
In this situation, the Bangalore-based franchise will have to let go of their uncapped Indian batsman Devdutt Padikkal. The left-handed batsman made his IPL debut this year and won everyone’s hearts with his solid performances.
Although Aaron Finch has much more experienced under his belt, Devdutt played the aggressor’s role in their partnership. All franchises will love to sign him, meaning that there would be a rise in his price.
Quinton de Kock – Mumbai Indians
Before the IPL 2020 final, Quinton de Kock stands at the number one position along with Ishan Kishan when it comes to scoring the most runs for the Mumbai-based franchise. The South African wicket-keeper batsman was also one of the best batsmen of IPL 2019 and his batting performances helped MI win their fourth IPL title.
Quinton has a deal of 2.80 Crores with the Mukesh Ambani-owned franchise right now. While it is highly unlikely that MI would prefer retaining him over Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah, de Kock could get a pay raise if even he gets retained.
In case he returns to the auction pool, there will be a massive increase in his salary because he is one of the most consistent performers.
Ruturaj Gaikwad – Chennai Super Kings
Another uncapped batsman who made his presence felt in the United Arab Emirates this year was Ruturaj Gaikwad. The opening batsman made history by becoming the first CSK player to hit three fifties on a trot.
Gaikwad might not be retained by CSK if there is a mega auction. His current salary is 20 lakhs and if he enters the auction, he will definitely get a better contract.
Mayank Agarwal – Kings XI Punjab
Mayank Agarwal was not a big name in international cricket when the Kings XI Punjab roped him in for 1 Crore in the IPL 2018 Auction. The right-handed batsman has taken giant strides in the cricketing world during the last two years.
He had his best IPL season in 2020 as he backed KL Rahul to perfection. If Agarwal is retained, his salary will obviously rise by leaps and bounds. In the unlikely scenario of Agarwal returning to auction, his deal would surely go above 1 Crore.
Jos Buttler – Rajasthan Royals
Like Quinton de Kock, Jos Buttler has been one of the most consistent wicket-keeper batsmen in the IPL of late. The Englishman has played brilliantly for the Rajasthan Royals.
However, he is not among the highest-paid players of the league. Buttler had a deal of 4.40 Crore, and if he gets released, he could surely earn a contract of more than 5 Crores.
