As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction approaches, anticipation is building among fans and experts alike. With the player retention list finalized, the focus shifts to the potential big stars who could be available in the auction pool. International players like Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes have been released by their respective franchises, while Indian cricket stars like Shardul Thakur have also not been retained.

All eyes will be on the strategies employed by the 10 IPL franchises as they seek to strengthen their squads during the auction, which will take place in Dubai on December 19. In the lead-up to the auction, renowned Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his insights on how franchises might approach the bidding process.

Among the batters, Ashwin, who currently plays for Rajasthan Royals, believes that power-hitter Shahrukh Khan could command a significant price tag. Shahrukh Khan, who previously played for Punjab Kings in the 2022 IPL, displayed his impressive striking ability during his stint with the franchise. In 14 matches, he amassed 156 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 165.96.

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“I can definitely see a fierce bidding war between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans for Shahrukh Khan,” Ravichandran Ashwin predicted on his YouTube channel. “Gujarat have let go of Hardik Pandya, and they need a player who can finish the innings, a power player. Shahrukh was at Rs 9 crore with Kings, and I thought he showed his skills pretty well. Is it a decent release? Because I think he might end up going for Rs 12-13 crore again,” he added.

Khan’s ability to accelerate the innings and provide late power-hitting makes him a valuable asset for any team seeking a dynamic middle-order batsman. His potential to attract a high price tag at the IPL 2024 auction is a testament to his growing reputation in the world of cricket.

Punjab Kinga Retained Players: Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh

Released players: Mohit Rathee, Raj Bawa, Shahrukh Khan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Baltej Singh

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Chennai Super Kings Retained players:MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway (wk), Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana.

Released players:Ben Stokes, Dwaine Pretorius, Bhagath Varma, Subhranshu Senapati, Ambati Rayudu, Kyle Jamieson, Akash Singh, Sisanda Magala.