IPL Auction was expected to be fun for 2 days for the viewers but for franchises it meant business and after a lot of work behind the scenes, all 10 teams had their squad. Some players were bought for a lesser amount than what was expected and some players became millionaires. Here is a list of 5 players who were the most expensive in the mega auction of the IPL. Let’s start, shall we?
1. Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians – 15.25 crore) –
Mumbai Indians had said before the auction that they will try to buy back Ishan Kishan and they went all out for him. Eventually, they bought him back for 15.25 crore and boy, they were happy. Ishan Kishan has seen a rapid rise as a cricketer in the last few years, did well in the IPL for the last few years and then got an India debut as well. Although, he had a quiet IPL in 2021, Kishan’s ability to change the game with his bat would have been in high demand anywhere in the world. So, it was not a surprise that he was sold for such a high price.
2. Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings – 14 crore) –
Just like Ishan Kishan, Deepak Chahar too bought by his previous franchise, Chennai Super Kings. Chahar has always been lethal with the ball and his performance for Chennai for the last two years has been impressive. He has bowled some terrific spells and has most often or not, given his team a good start with the ball. One area where he has improved in the last few games is with the bat. While playing for India, Chahar has played some wonderful knocks with the bat and is showing that he can hit the ball long. Chennai know how to use him and his experience will certainly help Chennai in IPL 2022.
3. Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders – 12.25 crore) –
Kolkata needed a captain and they have certainly found a candidate in Shreyas Iyer. Iyer has proved his captaincy skills when he was the captain of Delhi Capitals and did well to take them to the semis in 2019 and 2020. He was injured for the first half in 2021 and was not retained by Delhi for this season. Iyer had stated that he was looking for a leadership role and he might just get it in KKR.
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4. Liam Livingstone (Punjab Kings – 11.50 crore) –
Liam Livingstone became the most expensive overseas player in the IPL auction 2022 as he was sold for a whopping bid of 11.50 crore by Punjab Kings. Liam Livingstone’s stocks has been on the rise since he scored a terrific century against Pakistan in 2021 and he has not looked back, despite having a tough time in IPL 2021 where he could not buy a run. He though had a very good time in the T20 World Cup and he is also a very handy bowler which adds to his usefulness. Teams were definitely looking for that trait and Punjab will hope that Livingstone repays the faith shown in him by Punjab.
5. Harshal Patel (RCB), Wanindu Hasaranga (RCB), Shardul Thakur (DC), Nicholas Pooran (SRH) – 10.75 crore –
4 players were bought for the same price, 10.75 crore. These were Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga who were bought by RCB and then Shardul Thakur by Delhi and Nicholas Pooran by Hyderabad. Now coming to the players, Harshal Patel was the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021 but was not retained by RCB. His performance though made it difficult for Bangalore to let him go and bought him back.
Wanindu Hasaranga is one of the best players in the cricket circuit right now. He can bowl, he can bat and he can field. His performances in the last few years has been superb and Bangalore have recognized his talent and want to make him the lead spinner in their team.
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Shardul Thakur is one of those players from India who can do anything. If he is told to score runs, he does that and when the team wants to take a wicket, Shardul Thakur does that as well. He has been terrific in the last year or so for both India and Chennai. Delhi eventually bought him for a hefty price and whether he repays the faith will be interesting to see.
Nicholas Pooran was the biggest surprise for me in the auction. He has not been in the best of forms of late and even in IPL 2021, his average was less than 10. So teams bidding for him was a big surprise. There is no doubt that Pooran is talented and he can destroy any team when he gets going. But one must say that his current form has been poor and Hyderabad taking him for such a big price is something one did not expect.
