Will Anderson be picked at the auction?

Will James Anderson be picked at the auction? That's the million-dollar – or rather, Rs 1.25 crore – question, and IPL officials appear divided on his utility in the Twenty20 setup. Listed as player No. 479 in the auction register, Anderson has set his base price at Rs 1.25 crore.

Anderson has played 19 Twenty20 Internationals, his last appearance being nearly 15 years ago, in November 2009. In 44 domestic T20 matches, he has taken 41 wickets at an average of 32.14 and a respectable economy rate of 8.47.

The 42-year-old England red-ball legend is often deemed a misfit for the fast-paced T20 format, but some see him as an invaluable asset in a team environment. "Where else will you find the experience of over 1525 competitive wickets, including 991 international scalps? You buy him at his base price, and he can double up as a bowling mentor," remarked a renowned international coach who has previously worked in the IPL.

However, some franchise CEOs have a different view. "It doesn't make sense at all. He's not a T20 player, and at this stage in his career, he's not suited for the IPL. If someone wants him as a coach, why would they use Rs 1.25 crore from their player purse?" remarked a senior CEO, highlighting that such a move would block a good chunk of the budget.

Another team official was of a similar view. "Someone could very well pick him. But when certain teams' budgets are so low and when they are looking for Rs 50 lakh or Rs 75 lakh players at the backend of the auction to fill up their roster, it's unlikely they will have that much to spend. If he wants to be a mentor he should just apply for that post. But you never know."

After retiring from international cricket in July this year, Anderson has continued his association with the England team as a bowling consultant. Whether he will be picked at the auction remains a high point of curiosity.

Outside chances are that a team can well pick him just as a mark of reverence for his experience just like Chennai Super Kings had done for Cheteshwar Pujara in the 2021 auction. The franchise management had then said that they did not want to see a national hero, who had played a stellar role in India's Test series win in Australia, go unsold.