Data science and sports analytics are also critical in the auctioning of players and team formation. Cricket teams with a limited budget must determine whether a player is worth the money they are spending, as the most expensive player in the auction is not always the top-performing player.

Artificial Intelligence algorithms predict player values, aiding teams in assessing fair market prices. Predictive analytics help identify potential bargains and overpriced players based on historical data. For example, Chennai Super Kings demonstrated decision-making mastery by securing players like Moeen Ali through a data-driven lens. Their approach, guided by analytics, contributed to a formidable squad that shone on the field.

As per reports, in Cricket a metric that they use, is MVPI or The Most Valuable Player Index, which is a weighted composite score of the different attributes of a player. This whole data help us to understand the weak and the strong area of different players, whether a player is good at hitting boundaries or at the running between the wickets, whether a bowler performs better against left-handed batsman or right-handed batsman, whether a perform better against spinner or fast bowler.

However, nothing of this possible without the right software tools. Some commonly used softwares are :

CricViz – Unveiling cricket analytics for strategic insights.

Hawk-Eye – Tracking ball trajectories for nuanced analysis.

Sports Insights – Offering a comprehensive analytics platform for cricket decision-makers.

Tableau – Enabling teams to visualize complex data and trends.

Opta Sports – Providing detailed cricket statistics for performance analysis.

Cricket’s evolution is intricately tied to data analytics and AI tools. As we gear up for the next IPL season, the integration of these elements will likely shape the narrative of success in the auction room and on the field.