IPL 2023 Auction: Cameron Green prime target for Ricky Ponting, Shardul Thakur replacement on agenda for Rishabh Pant's Delhi Capitals

IPL 2023 Auction: After failing to make the playoffs last year, Delhi Capitals will aim to turn the tide around and strengthen their outfit in the mini-auction. One of the strongest teams on paper, Rishabh Pant’s side failed to convert the same on the field last year. Now with the new season coming, Delhi have a few chinks in its armour to fill. Head coach Ricky Ponting has already shown his admiration for Aussie stalwart Cameron Green. Shardul Thakur was traded, and a replacement for him will also be on the cards. Follow IPL 2023 LIVE Updates on Insidesport.IN

Also Read: IPL 2023 Auction LIVE: CSK CEO confirms ‘No Stephen Fleming for IPL auction’, Foreign staff to attend December 23 Auction via video conference – Follow LIVE Updates

IPL 2023 Auction: Cameron Green prime target for Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals, Shardul Thakur replacement also on agenda for Rishabh Pant’s side – Follow LIVE Updates

Cameron Green will likely be Delhi’s top target with head coach Ricky Ponting making an option admission of his interest in his fellow countryman. Green impressed IPL scouts with his power hitting in the T20I series in India, and is billed to be one of the most expensive buys in the auction. With Mitchell Marsh blowing hot and cold for the 2020 finalists, the Capitals could use Green to bolster their top order.

“I’m really interested to have an IPL conversation with you about Cam Green cos I freed up a fair bit of money for Delhi Capitals this year. I wanna low-down on how much he’s gonna be available. The fans will love him,” Ricky Ponting said during the post-lunch show during the Australia vs West Indies series.

Should Delhi be priced out of their bid for the 23-year-old all-rounder, English duo Ben Stokes and Sam Curran could also find themselves in the mix. However, they will face stiff competition during the bidding process. Having previously bought Steve Smith, the Capitals could show interest in former England captain Joe Root. Root offers an alternative to an explosive DC batting unit while adding leadership to a young DC core.

IPL 2023 Auction: What DC could look at?

Cameron Green is set to be the No.1 priority.
A chase for Ben Stokes or Sam Curran is expected should their Green bid fail.
DC have had anchor batsmen as supporting characters and Manish Pandey and Joe Root both fill in the criteria.
A pressing concern would be to replace the traded Shardul Thakur.
Having offered Kuldeep a revamp, Shivam Mavi could be the next KKR star DC adopt.
Rovman Powell is their only earmarked finisher and getting someone to complement him will work wonders.
David Wiese, Nicholas Pooran, Rilee Rossouw, Sikandar Raza and Harry Brook are all among the available options.

Ricky Ponting, with his @delhicapitals hat on, couldn’t resist asking the Australian coach about Cam Green’s IPL availability 😂 pic.twitter.com/DwL82UuArA

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 30, 2022

IPL 2023 Auction: Cameron Green prime target for Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals, Shardul Thakur replacement also on agenda for Rishabh Pant’s side – Follow LIVE Updates

One player on Delhi’s radar could be Rilee Rossouw. The SouthAfrican power-hitter was the second most expensive player in the SA20 Auctions, with DC’s sister franchise paying the big bucks for him. A hard-hitter against pace and spin, the Proteas veteran could some much-needed firepower to the Capitals unit. Harry Brook is another exciting youngster who made his name in the series against Pakistan. Phil Salt, Ben Duckett and Sikandar Raza will also be ones to keep an eye on.

However, finding Shardul Thakur’s replacement will be a huge task for the Capitals. Thakur was traded to KKR following a lukewarm season and DC will have to aim for an Indian pacer. Shivam Mavi could be one of the options looked at despite a lacklustre season last time out. Delhi worked wonders with Kuldeep Yadav, and Mavi could find the same source of inspiration to turn his career around.

DC Players Released/Traded OUT

Player	Role
Shardul Thakur	Bowler
Tim Seifert	Batsman/Wicket-keeper
Ashwin Hebbar	All-Rounder
KS Bharat	Batsman/Wicket-keeper
Mandeep Singh	Batsman

DC Players Retained/Traded IN

Player	Role
Rishabh Pant	Batsman/Wicket-keeper
Axar Patel	All-Rounder
Prithvi Shaw	Batsman
Anrich Nortje	Bowler
David Warner	Batsman
Mitchell Marsh	All-Rounder
Sarfaraz Khan	Batsman
Kamlesh Nagarkoti	Bowler
Mustafizur Rahman	Bowler
Kuldeep Yadav	Bowler
Khaleel Ahmed	Bowler
Chetan Sakariya	Bowler
Lalit Yadav	All-Rounder
Ripal Patel	All-Rounder
Yash Dhull	Batsman
Rovman Powell	Batsman
Pravin Dubey	Bowler
Lungi Ngidi	Bowler
Vicky Ostwal	All-Rounder
Aman Khan	All-Rounder