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Australia’s World Cup-winning opening batter, Travis Head, will enter the next Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, which is scheduled to be held in Dubai on November 19. “Yes, he will give his name,” a source privy to the development told Sportstar. Head had gone unsold at the IPL 2023 auction.
The 29-year-old’s remarkable return from a long injury layoff was capped off by a brilliant 137 from just 120 balls—the highest individual score in a World Cup final chase—which catapulted Australia to a record sixth ODI World Cup title. It was his second hundred in an ICC final this year, following his 163 in the World Test Championship decider at The Oval in June against India. He was the Player of the Match on both occasions.
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The left-hander showed his prowess in Indian conditions earlier this year when he guided the Aussies to their second win on Indian soil since clinching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2004. Head, unbeaten on 49, and Marnus Labuschagne (28 not out) saw the team past the finish line in a chase of 76 in the third Test at Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Head was previously part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, then Delhi Daredevils. But he only turned out for the former, playing in 2016 and 2017, scoring 205 runs in 10 matches at a strike-rate of 138.51.
The Australian, who is also a handy off-spinner, has scored 2400 runs at a strike-rate of 132.81 over 104 T20 matches.
Head’s teammate Mitchell Starc’s eight-year absence from the Indian Premier League is also set to end with the left-arm quick signing up for the auction. Starc has 34 wickets from 27 career IPL games at 20.38 and an economy of 7.17.
The IPL teams have until November 26 to submit their lists of retained and released players, after which the final auction pool will be finalised. With the upcoming IPL 2024, followed by the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, many notable overseas players are expected to sign up for this auction.
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