Phil Salt focused on Abu Dhabi T10 amid hype around IPL Auction

By Vivek Prabhakar SinghAbu Dhabi [UAE], November 20 (ANI): As the buzz around the IPL mega auction grows louder, English cricketer Phil Salt, one of the most exciting players in T20 cricket today, is gearing up for the Abu Dhabi T10 League.

Salt, who had a sensational IPL season with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), scoring 435 runs in 12 matches at an electrifying strike rate of 182.01, has positioned himself as a top target for franchises.

Despite the attention, Salt remains grounded and focused on his current commitments.

Speaking to ANI, he shared his excitement about the IPL but made it clear that the auction isn't his immediate priority.

"Very excited to play the IPL again; the cricket is great. I am not one of those guys who have eyes on the auction until the time comes. My focus is with Abu Dhabi now," Salt stated.

Salt has joined Team Abu Dhabi for the T10 League and is eager to make an impact there.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the tournament, he said, "Feels good to be in Team Abu Dhabi.....really excited to be back and have the armband."While Salt's leadership role in the T10 League will be his main focus for now, franchises are sure to be keeping a close eye on him as the auction approaches. Given his recent IPL performances, Salt is expected to be one of the top picks in the upcoming mega auction.

In 34 T20Is, Salt has scored 1,047 runs at an average of 38.77 and a strike rate of 167.52. He has scored three centuries and three fifties in 32 innings, with the best score of 119. He is only the ninth England player to touch the 1,000-run mark in the shortest format.

The much-anticipated IPL player auction list has been released, featuring a total of 574 players for the upcoming Mega Auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Of the 574 players, 366 are Indian, while 208 are overseas, including three from associate nations. The auction will see 318 Indian uncapped players and 12 uncapped overseas players in contention. There are 204 slots available, with 70 reserved for overseas players.

The highest reserve price is set at INR 2 crore, with 81 players opting for this bracket. The largest segment comprises players with a base price of INR 30 lakh, totalling 320.

Among the standout names are Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul, part of the 12 marquee players. These three captains were released by their respective franchises ahead of the retention deadline. For the first time since 2018, the marquee players are divided into two sets, comprising seven Indian players and five overseas stars.

The first set includes Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Arshdeep Singh, while the second features KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj. The overseas marquee players are Mitchell Starc, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, and Kagiso Rabada.

Several teams will deploy Right-to-Match (RTM) cards during the auction. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), having retained six players each--the maximum allowed--will not have any RTM cards. Punjab Kings (PBKS) hold four RTMs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) three, and Delhi Capitals (DC) two. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Titans (GT), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Mumbai Indians (MI) each have one RTM.

RTM cards enable teams to buy back released players by matching the highest bid. In this auction, the team with the highest bid can increase their offer once more, after which the team holding the RTM card can match the final bid to secure the player.

The IPL 2025 Mega Auction promises to deliver high-stakes action, with marquee players and strategic manoeuvres set to enthral cricket fans. (ANI)