IPL Auction 2019: Shivam Dube, Rajneesh Gurbani and other domestic players on franchises' radar

In the glamour and glitz surrounding the Indian as well as overseas stars, the lesser acknowledged domestic talents, who place their base prices at less than Rs 50 lakh, go unnoticed prior to the auctions. With 346 players enrolled for the event set to take place on 18 December at Jaipur, we scan through some highly talented domestic guns in India who have set themselves up for a big haul courtesy some promising performances in domestic leagues. Shivam Dube [caption id=“attachment_5742061” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  File image of Shivam Dube. Image credit: Twitter/@BCCIdomestic[/caption] Base price: Rs 20 lakh Remember Pravin Tambe? The unknown leg-spinner who became an IPL star was thumped for five sixes in an over by Shivam Dube during the 2018 Mumbai T20 league, a cameo that got the all-rounder all the attention he needed for the 2019 auctions. Dube once again caught media attention in the Ranji Trophy when he slammed a 139-ball 114. A pace bowling all-rounder is a rarity in the country and Dube is suddenly a much-sought-after commodity this time around. Setting himself a base price of 20 lakh, Dube has ensured that franchises don’t think twice before raising the paddle for him. A T20 strike rate of 147.65, 10 wickets in 13 matches and some lavish praise showered on him by Sunil Gavaskar should see Dube go big this season. Potential suitors: Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians. Rajneesh Gurbani Base price: Rs 20 lakh Rajneesh Gurbani turned heads with a spectacular showing in the 2017/18 title-winning campaign for Vidarbha, in which he returned as the second-highest wicket-taker in the season with 39 of them from six matches. He isn’t the quickest in the country and clocks average speeds in the range of 130 kmph, but has immense control and exploits any swing on offer. His banana swing was the talk of the town in the season but he went unsold in the 2018 IPL auctions. This time around, though, parts of the IPL could be held in South Africa and there will be extra focus on seamers which could make Gurbani an excellent value for money buy. New ball bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar had created an impact even in India and Gurbani, who has similar traits, could be a stellar addition in most teams. Potential suitors: Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, Sunrisers Hyderabad. Varun Chakravarthy Base price: Rs 20 lakh Earning a name as mystery spinner, Tamil Nadu bowler Varun Chakravarthy has hogged headlines ahead of the IPL auctions owing to some eye-catching performances in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). He spun his team Siechem Madurai Panthers to a title win with nine wickets at a mind-blowing economy of 4.7. He furthered attracted attention in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker. Varun has eight variations up his sleeve — including flipper, zooter, one that comes in with the angle, carrom ball etc — and has already bowled in the nets for Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, from where he has picked tips from Sunil Narine’s coach. He had been called up for trials by Mumbai Indians before the auction and could be on their radar. “Bowling to the likes of Dhoni, Raina and others made me understand a batsmen’s mindset in T20s. When I was with KKR for two weeks, Sunil Narine’s coach Carl Crowe gave me insights,” Varun had said after his TNPL exploits. Potential suitors: Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders. Arun Karthick Base price: Rs 20 lakh Known for a last-ball six in a Champions League T20 league match for Royal Challengers Bangalore against South Australia Redbacks in 2011, Arun Karthik is back in news, courtesy the TNPL. The wicket-keeper batsman was critical in the title-winning campaign for Madurai Panthers, making an unbeaten 75 in the finals of the tournament this year. Karthick was the highest run-getter in the season with 472 runs at an average of almost 80. He slammed six half-centuries in the season and was the most consistent batsman on display. With a pretty handy first-class average, recent form and camaraderie with a lot of coaching staff, Karthick could make it big this season. Potential suitors: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab. Rasikh Salam Base price: Rs 20 lakh Rasikh Salam was a surprise inclusion in the shortlisted players’ category for the auctions. Some decent performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy caught the eye of the Mumbai Indians camp, who called him up for trials. In his second match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against a formidable Tamil Nadu line-up, Salam picked two wickets and impressed one and all with his seam, pace and swing. Salam has earned praise from Irfan Pathan and Parveez Rasool in the lead up to the IPL auctions and at 17, has the potential to be a real talent in the forthcoming years. That he has been shortlisted from around 1,000 players shows why he is as exciting a talent as they come at this age. “During the shorter period of my reign here, I have been able to recognise a player who surely will make it big. It is surprising that he hasn’t played any state-level cricket yet,” Pathan had commented on the youngster in an interview. Potential suitors: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab.