IPL 2024
Indian T20 League 2022: Most expensive players at the mega auction
The 15th edition of the Indian T20 League is round the corner. The gala event is due to start March 26, 2022. The event was preceded by a mega auction in Bengaluru on the February 12 and 13.
The mega auction for the Grand league saw 590 players going under the hammer. At the end of the event the 10 teams participating in the 15th edition of the Indian T20 League spent about 552 Cr INR to buy 204 players for the upcoming league.
Let’s have a look at the players for whom the franchises broke the bank during the Mega Auction:
5. Harshal Patel (Base Price – 2Cr INR, Selling Price – 10.75 Cr INR)
Harshal Patel has played 61 matches till now in his Indian T20 League career taking 78 wickets. He has a bowling strike rate of 16.20 in the league. Though an economy rate of 8.58 seems on the higher side, keeping in mind the fact that he bowls the death overs it is quite commendable. Also, the variety in his bowling and an excellent slower delivery up his sleeve was due to rage a bidding war among the franchises for him.
The Purple winner cap of the 14th edition of Indian T20 League was released by the Bangalore franchise. The franchise backed on getting him back at the mega auction, this induced an intense bidding war between Hyderabad and Bangalore and ultimately Bangalore bagged him for a whopping 10.75 Cr INR, which was a price over five times more than his base price.
4. Liam Livingstone (Base Price – 1 Cr INR, Selling Price – 11.50 Cr INR)
Livingstone an English all rounder who is quite handy with the bat and more than handy with his leg-spins played for Rajasthan in 2021.
Liam Livingstone’s stint with Rajasthan in Indian T20 League’s 14th season resulted in just 42 runs from five innings. But his reputation and all-round abilities saw a bidding war between Kolkata, Chennai, Gujarat and Punjab. Ultimately Punjab won the bidding war for Livingstone bagging him for 11.50 Cr INR, 11.5 times times his base price.
3. Shreyas Iyer (base Price- 2 Cr INR, Selling Price- 12.25 Cr INR)
Shreyas Iyer, with an average of 31.66 and a strike rate of 123.66 in his Indian T20 League career, is one man who can stabilize the innings and keep the score board moving in the middle overs of a game.
The Delhi franchise did not retain Shreyas Iyer hoping to buy him back in the mega auction. But the Kolkata franchise looking desperately for a captaincy contender and a stable middle-order batsman fended off the competition from Delhi, Gujarat and Lucknow to secure the services of Iyer for 12.25 Cr INR, over six times his base price.
2. Deepak Chahar (Base Price- 2 Cr INR, Selling Price- 14 Cr INR)
Deepak Chahar with his swing upfront and more than handy batting capabilities was a steal for Chennai for 80 Lakhs in the 2018 auction. Looking at a batting strike rate of 138.59 and a bowling average of 29.18, it is safe to conclude that he repaid more than his price tag to the franchise.
Though an integral part of the Chennai team from 2018 to 2021, his was a name that was not retained by the franchise. The recent all-round capabilities displayed by Chahar in the international circuit got Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai in a bidding war for the player. Chennai ultimately secured Chahar for a price seven times his base price.
1. Ishan Kishan (Base Price- 2 Cr INR, Selling Price- 15.25 Cr INR)
Ishan Kishan is known for his attacking batting attitude. With a strike rate of 136.33 in his Indian T20 League career, he is a perfect option to have at the top of the order to take the counter attack to the opposition at the very beginning of an innings.
Ishan Kishan not being retained by the Mumbai franchise raised a few eyebrows. But it was as if Mumbai was just waiting for him throughout the first day of the auction. The owner from Mumbai was never seen lowering his paddle during the bidding war for the explosive wicketkeeper-batter.
Punjab, Gujarat and Hyderabad tried to outbid Mumbai but nothing could deter the fuve-time champions. Mumbai ultimately secured Ishan Kishan for INR 15.25 crore, a price about 7.5 times his base price.
