It promises to be one intriguing battle as the 8 franchises go head to head in the IPL 2017 auction in the bid to grab players to strengthen their teams&#8217; balance. The 10th edition of the coveted tournament will witness 351 players on sale. A total of 122 international players will go under the hammer and this time, there are plenty of new names appearing who are already making a buzz before the auction.

There is no clarity about the number of players that the franchises would be allowed to retain in the next season as the players once again are expected to be freed from the squads to be auctioned. The suspended teams of Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings would also make their ways back in the league from the next season and hence it will be interesting to see what the team owners plan considering the future.

The IPL auctions have always involved a lot of studies and predictions. Once again, all the owners would be doing their studies as to which players they need to target to plug the gaps in their teams. Here is an analysis of all the teams&#8217; combinations and what could be expected from their strategies for the auction.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/05/Mumbai-Indians-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-67752" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mumbai-Indians-1.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians IPL 9" width="600" height="405" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-67752" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The two-time champions and one of the strongest teams in the league, Mumbai Indians have always been amongst the attractive franchises. Having failed to make it to the playoffs last season, they have released 8 players from the squad but the core of the team remains the same. Here are the most prominent players in the squad:

Openers: Lendl Simmons, Parthiv Patel (wk)

Middle Order Batsmen: Rohit Sharma (C), Ambati Rayudu, Jos Buttler

All-rounders: Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya

Spinners: Harbhajan Singh, Shreyas Gopal

Fast Bowlers: Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Tim Southee, Vinay Kumar

Their first and foremost requirement would be to have a backup opening batsman as they have just two in the squad. Having released Alex Hales from the squad, they might look to go for someone like Jason Roy who has done well recently.

The middle order and the all-rounders&#8217; department look quite assured which has been the strength of the team. They have Harbhajan and Krunal to handle the spin segment. Parthiv Patel is the wicketkeeper having Jos Buttler as a backup.

They have INR 11.555 crores in the bag and can afford to spend big for the opener&#8217;s slot as they possess a balanced side otherwise. The other selection could be to have an overseas all-rounder having dropped Corey Anderson as they can pick 3 more overseas players. They can look to grab a backup all-rounder by spending a lesser amount.

2. Royal Challengers Bangalore

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/05/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-4.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-68869" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-4.jpg" alt="IPL 9 Royal Challengers Bangalore" width="600" height="464" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-68869" class="wp-caption-text">Royal Challengers Bangalore. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The side led by Virat Kohli had a tremendous time in the last season as they made it to the final but fell just one step short. Their skipper himself was the leading player scoring 4 centuries in the league. This time they would look to make it better by covering that one extra mile. The most prominent players in the squad are:

Openers: Virat Kohli (C), Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh

Middle Order Batsmen: KL Rahul (wk), AB de Villiers, Kedar Jadhav, Sarfaraz Khan, Travis Head

All-rounders: Shane Watson, Stuart Binny

Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal, Iqbal Abdulla, Samuel Badree, Tabraiz Shamsi

Fast Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Sreenath Aravind, Harshal Patel, Adam Milne

In the last season, they were dominating all teams due to their heavy batting line-up and the weakness in the bowling department was pretty much covered up. But they need strength, especially in the pace division. They can spend INR 12.825 crores and have only one spot left for a foreign player and so, they can go big to buy a pacer or a fast bowling all-rounder.

They could set their eyes on players like Ben Stokes or Irfan Pathan for the all-rounder&#8217;s spot. If they fail to get Stokes, they can look for a foreign pacer like Kagiso Rabada or Tymal Mills or an Indian fast bowler like Ishant Sharma.

If they are left with a good amount to spend after the above, they can look to bring in an extra Indian spinner in the squad as a backup for Chahal. To keep the wickets, they have KL Rahul with AB de Villiers and Kedar Jadhav who can don the gloves too.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/05/Kolkata-Knight-Riders-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-68837" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kolkata-Knight-Riders-2.jpg" alt="Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 9" width="600" height="382" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-68837" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The champions from the years 2012 and 2014 had finished fourth on the points table last year and lost in the eliminator match against Gujarat Lions. They always have had a strong side with a good balance in all the departments. Here is what the squad looks like with the top players:

Openers: Gautam Gambhir (c), Robin Uthappa (wk)

Middle Order Batsmen: Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn

All-rounders: Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan

Spinners: Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav

Fast bowlers: Umesh Yadav, Ankit Singh Rajpoot

Their star all-rounder from the previous seasons Andre Russell is unavailable this time due to a ban imposed on him. It will be a big void to fill and their first priority would be to find a replacement for him. He manned the duties of a frontline fast bowler for KKR and with Morne Morkel not present in the squad, they need someone good in that area.

Their aim could also be at Ben Stokes who almost looks perfect to fill in for both Russell and Morkel. They have INR 19.75 crores to spend and one can expect them to invest big for someone like Stokes. They still have space for 6 overseas players and so, can go for another foreign all-rounder by spending lesser on him or can bring in an Indian pacer or all-rounder as well.

Their spin section is perhaps the strongest amongst all teams. As such, the squad would be completed with the inclusion of a pacer or a seam bowling all-rounder, they can slot in an opening batsman in case any of Gambhir or Uthappa gets injured. As Uthappa will keep the wicketkeeper, they might plan to take an opener who can keep wickets too like Aditya Tare.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/05/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-66715" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 9" width="600" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-66715" class="wp-caption-text">Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The defending champions led by David Warner were on a roll last season and defeated a strong RCB side in the final. They were a very underrated team till the last season but raised their performance level a notch last year and managed to emerge as the champions. Thier squad has the following top players:

Openers: David Warner (c), Shikhar Dhawan

Middle Order Batsmen: Yuvraj Singh, Moises Henriques, Kane Williamson, Naman Ojha (wk)

All-rounders: Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda

Spinners: No specialist

Fast bowlers: Mustafizur Rahman, Ashish Nehra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Barinder Sran, Siddharth Kaul

They have released leg-spinner Karn Sharma from the squad and hence there is a void for the specialist spinner in the squad. With INR 20.9 crores in the purse, they can afford to go big to fill that gap with another leg-spinner like Imran Tahir. The all-rounders Pawan Negi and Parvez Rasool could also be on their radar.

They can accommodate 4 more overseas players and having plenty in the bag to spend, they must look to put a backup overseas fast bowler for Mustafizur. They had Trent Bolt in the side but after his omission, they can afford to spend above average on a pacer as well.

Naman Ojha is the sole wicketkeeper in the squad and there are only 2 openers. Hence someone like Aditya Tare comes into contention here too who can bat up the order and keep the wickets.

5. Rising Pune Supergiants

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/04/Rising-Pune-Supergiants.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-68648" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Rising-Pune-Supergiants.jpg" alt="Rising Pune Supergiants" width="600" height="473" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-68648" class="wp-caption-text">Rising Pune Supergiants. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The franchise captained by the mighty MS Dhoni made its debut in the league last season. It had a star-studded line-up but injuries to their top players affected their performance big time and as a result, they finished second from the bottom on the points table. Their top players in the squad currently include:

Openers: Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal, Usman Khawaja

Middle Order Batsmen: Faf du Plessis, Steven Smith, MS Dhoni (c &amp; wk)

All-rounders: Mitchell Marsh, Rajat Bhatia, Baba Aparajith

Spinners: Ravichandran Ashwin, Adam Zampa, Ankit Sharma

Fast bowlers: Ishwar Pandey, Ashok Dinda, Jaskaran Singh

They have released a handful of fast bowlers like Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Thisara Perra, Rudra Pratap Singh and Albie Morkel and so, there is a whole new bunch of pacers that need to be slotted in. They have INR 17.5 crores and space for 4 foreign players and hence they can buy even two foreign fast bowlers or a pacer and a pace bowling all-rounder that can serve as a backup for Marsh.

Ben Stokes and Corey Anderson could be the favourites for this franchise as well. There are some other options too like Trent Boult, Chris Woakes and Angelo Matthews. They have enough firepower with Ashwin and Zampa as the spinners.

Their middle order consists of 3 overseas batsmen and they can plan to take an Indian batsman to make the side more flexible. The fitness of Dhoni doesn&#8217;t usually demand a backup keeper and if that indeed occurs, they have Ankush Bains in the side who can don the gloves.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/05/Kings-XI-Punjab-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-67307" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kings-XI-Punjab-3.jpg" alt="Kings XI Punjab IPL 2016" width="600" height="405" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-67307" class="wp-caption-text">Kings XI Punjab. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The 2014 edition of the IPL was the most fruitful for the franchise as they finished as the table toppers and also the runners up in the league. But after that, they have had 2 nightmares by finishing last on the points table for 2 seasons straight. Here is what the team composition looks like with the prominent players:

Openers: Murali Vijay (c), Manan Vohra, Hashim Amla

Middle Order Batsmen: Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha (wk)

All-rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Gurkeerat Singh Mann

Fast bowlers: Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Anureet Singh, Shardul Thakur

The Kings have released 4 players from the squad which is the least amongst all the teams. They dropped Mitchell Johnson, Rishi Dhawan and Kyle Abbott and are now in need of an overseas specialist fast bowler. Tall bowlers like Kagiso Rabada or Sean Abbott could be in contention.

Similar to RPS, they lack an Indian batsman in the middle order and an uncapped Indian batsman could be picked as there are not too many experienced candidates available for the grabs. With a whopping INR 23.35 crores remaining to be spent, they can look to put an overseas all-rounder in the cart too as there is only Stoinis who does those duties.

Another possibility lies with the inclusion of a foreign spinner to support Axar Patel. At home, the spinners aren&#8217;t that effective but they lag when they travel on slow pitches. Hence someone like Imran Tahir could be a smart buy for them.

Saha will be the permanent keeper having Nikhil Naik as the backup.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/05/Delhi-Daredevils.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-68521" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="Delhi Daredevils IPL 9" width="600" height="424" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-68521" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Daredevils. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

The franchise hasn&#8217;t tasted too much success in the history of the league and they finished 6th on the points table last season. They had a decent first half of the tournament last year but lost the track later and failed to finish amongst the top four. Here is how side looks like with the top players:

Openers: Quinton de Kock (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sam Billings, Rishabh Pant

Middle Order Batsmen: Jean-Paul Duminy (c), Sanju Samson, Karun Nair

All-rounders: Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Morris

Spinners: Amit Mishra, Jayant Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem

Fast bowlers: Mohammad Shami, Zaheer Khan

They have plenty of strength for the opening slot and we might even see Rishabh Pant or Sam Billings batting in the middle order. Duminy, Nair and Samson provide stability to the middle order. Their major concern arises in the all-rounder&#8217;s department.

Brathwaite was off-coloured last season and so they might look to buy an Indian all-rounder like Irfan Pathan to cover up for him. They have INR 23.1 crores to spend and can afford to spend on a foreign all-rounder too. They might go for Ben Stokes too, having a room for 4 overseas players. There is also a requirement for a foreign fast bowler and with enough money left, they could look to target some big names.

Having dropped their costly buy Pawan Negi from the last season and the other spinner Imran Tahir, they still have ample fire with Mishra, Jayant and Nadeem as the spinners. Quinton de Kock will be their premier keeper and with Pant in the side, they are assured of a replacement.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/05/Gujarat-Lions-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-68357" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Gujarat-Lions-1.jpg" alt="Gujarat Lions IPL 2016" width="600" height="415" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-68357" class="wp-caption-text">Gujarat Lions. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

On its debut season, the franchise had a dream run in the league stage last year as they secured the pole position on the points table. Though they failed to make it to the final, it was a commendable effort from them to finish third in the tournament. Here is how the squad pans out on paper with the strong players:

Openers: Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Aaron Finch, Ishan Kishan

Middle Order Batsmen: Suresh Raina (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk)

All-rounders: Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner

Spinners: Shivil Kaushik, Shadab Jakati

Fast bowlers: Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Andrew Tye, Pradeep Sangwan

They are a very batting heavy side with the presence of power hitters at the top and the all-rounder in the lower order. Their death bowling is nicely served by Bravo and Faulkner. Their side at present looks quite balanced, the reason why they did so well last year.

Where they can improve is with their spinners. They have Jadeja as the spinner and they have dropped Pravin Tambe from the squad. An off-spinner or a leg-spinner would be good to compliment Jadeja&#8217;s left-arm spin. They have INR 14.35 crores in the bag and one big investment is affordable.

Their fast bowling can have one more foreign player. They might not go for the costly bowlers but can certainly buy the one who does not attract big bucks in the auction. Karthik would be the prominent keeper and has McCullum in the side who can take up the gloves if required.

What the franchises would look for in the IPL 2017 Auction

5. Rising Pune Supergiants