Cricket: Is a record Black Caps IPL presence in prospect?

Can Ish Sodhi finally get a contract with an Indian Premier League side? Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport.nz

When the Indian Premier League auction opens on January 27 and 28 in Bengaluru, New Zealand's cricketers might celebrate the most lucrative collective haul in their history.

As the No 1 ranked country in Twenty20 cricket, their curriculum vitae bulges with talent for franchises to peruse.

The Black Caps have the No 1 batsman (Colin Munro) and bowler (Ish Sodhi) in the T20 rankings, two more batsmen in the top 11 (Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill) and two more bowlers in the top 13 (Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult).

Most credibility relates to players' past performances on Indian pitches. It will help that New Zealand played ODIs and T20s there in October and November.

Other domestic T20 franchise cricket and past IPLs also dominate owners' thinking more than the international arena, but New Zealanders have every chance of improving on last year's record of 11 contracts.

Local players can further showcase their skills during the Pakistan series, the remainder of the Super Smash competition and Australia's Big Bash League for those with contracts.

Eighteen players, but no New Zealanders, have been retained at the eight IPL franchises. That means all Black Caps go back into the bidding. Franchises can keep up to five players. None have opted for more than three at present, but can exercise a right-to-match option during the auction.

A lifetime of financial security can become reality with a bang of the gavel ... but speculation can prove fickle.

Corey Anderson earned a contract with the Mumbai Indians in 2014, principally on the back of his then world-record 36-ball ODI century against the West Indies at Queenstown.

In contrast, Martin Guptill only got picked by the same franchise in 2016 as a replacement. After a stellar limited overs season he missed out despite being listed as one of eight marquee players in the original bidding.

Munro and Sodhi's prospects will be the most intriguing to observe.

Sodhi was joint top of the wicket-taking charts at the 2016 World T20 in India with 10, then scythed through the Sydney Thunder, taking 6-11 for the Adelaide Strikers last January in the BBL.

No IPL franchise were interested.

Munro will discover whether his transition to play as a limited overs opener has been convincing, after becoming the first player to score three T20 international centuries last week.

He has played only four IPL matches, all for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2016 as part of a $67,000 deal. Another season he was part of the Mumbai Indians' squad but did not play.
Williamson ($121,000 at Sunrisers Hyderabad last season) and Mitchell McClenaghan (the fourth-highest wicket-taker last season on $61,000 at the Mumbai Indians) might also have their salaries boosted.

Last season New Zealand's presence was weighted in favour of pace bowlers with Boult (Kolkata Knight Riders), Matt Henry (Kings XI Punjab), Lockie Ferguson (Rising Pune Supergiant), Adam Milne (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Tim Southee and McClenaghan (Mumbai Indians) involved.

Colin de Grandhomme (KKR) and Anderson (Delhi Daredevils) flew the New Zealand all-rounder flag, while Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Guptill (KXIP) and Brendon McCullum (Gujarat Lions) had batting gigs.

Those numbers could be about to expand.