Auction strategy and the cost of a marquee name

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The auction is a squad-building exercise disguised as an entertainment programme, and the two goals do not always point the same way.

The opportunity cost nobody televises

A record bid makes the highlights. What does not make the highlights is the death bowler the same franchise could not afford twenty minutes later.

Depth wins leagues. Star power sells shirts. Most seasons, one of those matters more than the other.

The key points

• Retentions signal a franchise's gaps before the first bid
• A marquee signing shrinks the budget for specialist roles
• Squad depth tends to matter more across a long season

Building around the retained core

Retentions set the shape of the squad before bidding starts. A team that keeps four batters and one bowler has already told everyone in the room what it needs, which is an expensive thing to announce.

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