IPL 2020- Areas of concern for each Team ahead of the Auctions

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Updated: December 9, 2019
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The IPL 2020 auctions are slated for 19^th December, 2019, in Kolkata. The 8 IPL teams will be looking to fill up 73 slots in all. The transfer window witnessed a few exciting trades and several players were released by their IPL franchises as well. Before the eagerly awaited auctions take place.

Some of the key areas of concern for every IPL franchise.

RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore)- RCB has always been let down by its bowling unit and it is the same this time around. The foreign pace contingent has been released by the team and it will not be relying solely on its Indian pacers. RCB will look to create a fresh team of reliable pace bowlers. Also, Marcus Stoinis and Colin de Grandhomme have been released. This means that RCB will require some batting power in the lower order since Shivam Dube does not possess ample experience as a finisher. They may also target a backup wicket-keeper since they only have one keeper in Parthiv Patel at the moment. The team will look to ensure that AB De Villiers plays freely without increased responsibilities hampering his fitness levels.
KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders)- KKR should focus on bolstering the top order lineup. Siddhesh Lad, Sunil Narine and Shubman Gill should be backed up by an experienced batsman since Chris Lynn has been released. KKR will also look to build up overall bench strength which cost them dearly in the last edition. KKR may also look to beef up their pace bowling unit with death-bowling specialists to support Harry Gurney.
Mumbai Indians (MI)- Mumbai Indians have covered most of their weak spots and have a strong playing eleven. However, they will look to scale up overall bench strength since they have released Evin Lewis, Yuvraj Singh and Ben Cutting while also having traded Siddhesh Lad. They will look for a good batsman as back-up.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)- RR have already included Ankit Rajpoot over their earlier main man, Dhawal Kulkarni, indicating their preference for fast and raw pace bowling. However, Jofra Archer and Varun Aaron aside, RR does not have any other star pacer in the team. This will be something that they will look to fill up. They do have Ben Stokes, Steve Smith and Jos Buttler in the ranks but they will need some good Indian batsmen to beef up overall bench strength. The lower middle-order needs filling up after they released Stuart Binny and traded in K Gowtham. This team needs a good finisher.
KXIP (Kings XI Punjab)- KXIP has a strong top order batting lineup but they need to fill up gaps in the middle order after having released David Miller. Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Nicholas Pooran and Karun Nair are suitable options but a good, heavy-hitting finisher may still be required. The fast bowling department will require beefing up since Ankit Rajpoot, Andrew Tye and Sam Curran have been released.
Sunrisers Hyderabad- SRH will have to add some batting firepower while attempting to mould Vijay Shankar suitably along with Abhishek Sharma. They can also try out Rashid Khan or Mohammad Nabi for this purpose although some back-up will be needed. They should have a better lower-middle order lineup to combat scenarios where both David Warner and Jonny Bairstow flopped. SRH has a strong bowling unit but they may need a backup bowler for the trio of Sandeep Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul.
Delhi Capitals- DC has a strong lineup of Indian batsmen and they have Ishant Sharma and Kagiso Rabada in the fast-bowling arsenal as well. Their spin department is also one of the best in the tournament. They will only require a finisher, someone who can prove handy in the lower order. Some back-up for the pace bowlers could also be necessary.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)- CSK has released 6 players and the team looks almost the same as the IPL 2019 squad. However, the middle order needs sorting, particularly for its over-dependence on skipper MS Dhoni. CSK need a powerful hitter in the middle order and their bowling lineup seems good to go with Lungi Ngidi in the ranks for IPL 2020 as well. However, a back-up pace bowler could be handy in case of any injuries.

There are quite a few areas of concern that IPL franchises will be looking to fill up at the upcoming auctions for IPL 2020. Expect some exciting developments soon!