With 13 players bagged in the VIVO Indian Premier League auction, coach Mike Hesson reviews what had been a strategically planned round of bidding. The Kiwi sits down with KXIP.in to review some of the key moments from Tuesday's event.
Photo Credit: IPLT20.com/BCCIQ. How was your first IPL Auction? Did the strategy go according to plan?
Mike Hesson: In all honestly, probably 95 per cent went exactly the way we sort of planned it to go. So all in all, really pleased with the auction.
Q. Did anything unexpected come across your way?
Mike Hesson: Yeah, I think so. To get Moises Henriques for 1 crore was a huge buy for us. It allowed us that flexibility to spend a little more on some other players. You know, a really good player and he has given us some options later on.
Q. What prompted KXIP to go for Prabhsimran Singh?
Mike Hesson: Prabhsimran, obviously a local Punjabi boy, very, very talented. An explosive batsman through the middle order, he has captained the Punjab U-19s. You know, a good wicketkeeper and certainly a developing wicketkeeper. He's going to be a big part of our future in terms of Kings XI Punjab.
Q. Prabhsimran is just 17; was spending 4.8 crores on him a good strategy?
Mike Hesson: Look, I think that just when you have two or three teams come up to you and go, "jeez. that was a great buy, we would have loved to have got Prabhsimran" then you know he's a good player.
Q. Which teams, apart from KXIP, do you think did a good job at the auction?
Mike Hesson: I thought all the sides did pretty well to be fair; but we were pretty much focused on ourselves.
Q. Will there be a change in approach in the coming season in terms of strategy?
Mike Hesson: I think we have got a squad where we can adapt to conditions and I think that is key for us. Sure, we will have a core of sort of 14 odd players but if we come onto a surface that was different, I think we have got the ability to adapt and to adjust; and that's going to be important in sort of a 14-16 match campaign.
Q. What are your expectations from IPL 2019 with the current team that we have got?
Mike Hesson: Look, we have got a really good side. Obviously, we've got plenty of practice to do to make sure we get the right balance on the field but really, really pleased with the squad.
