No takers for Himachal cricketers in IPL auction

None of the seven Himachal cricketers in the IPL auction pool managed to get a bid from any franchise this year. It’s indeed a setback for Himachal cricket, but the scenario could change in the next IPL auction. “Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) will start a state premier league on the lines of IPL from the coming season. It will significantly boost the chances of our players in the IPL auction,” said Avnish Parmar, secretary, HPCA.

The state’s cricketing fraternity feels the lack of the state premier league hurts the chances of the players from the state when it comes to making an IPL cut. “Most of the states have their own premier leagues, which are telecast live. The IPL scouts watch these leagues, and spot the players they want in their franchises,” said a senior cricket coach of the state.

These small leagues have become a sort of feeder system for IPL, especially when it comes to biding for uncapped and unknown players. The IPL scouts check out the skills and temperament of these players under different circumstances from the comfort of their homes.

Parmar said that the association would constitute at least five teams and then these would be auctioned on the lines of the IPL. The franchises can then pick up the players from the available pool. “The entire tournament will be hosted in Dharamsala stadium,” said Parmar.

While the Himachal boys are struggling to make the IPL cut or come close to playing for India, the girls are having a great run, both for India and in the Women Premier League. While Renuka Thakur and Harleen Deol were part of the 50-over World Cup-winning Indian team a while back, the Himachal girls are making their presence felt in the T20 franchisee cricket as well. There are four girls Renuka Thakur, Harleen Deol, Tanuja Kanwar and Shivani Singh representing different franchisees in Women Premier League. “The girls are undoubtedly doing extremely well. Currently, our boys' team is going through a transitional phase. Once the new boys find their feet, and we have the state premier league, our boys will start attracting more attention,” said a senior coach.