3 teams that should have tried harder for Kartik Tyagi in the IPL 2024 auction ft. RCB
One of the major surprises of the IPL 2024 Auction was the steal at which Gujarat Titans secured talented Indian seamer Kartik Tyagi. They had to shell out ₹60 lakh alone in the bidding process to rope in the Uttar Pradesh speedster at the auction in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19.
With fast bowlers raking in the moolah and not too many Indian pacers of experience available, Tyagi was touted to enjoy a solid payday.
It had to do with his ability to bowl speeds over 145 kph apart from extracting sharp bounce owing to his height. He is likely to be one of the better bowlers when it comes to using the new two bouncers per over rule and his yorker is as potent as they come.
His famous defense of four runs in the last over of an IPL 2021 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) remains the stuff of folklore.
While the Titans will be chuffed at having snapped up Tyagi for a bargain, some other teams may look back and ponder over whether they could have gone harder for him. Especially given that they could have added another Indian quick of this caliber in their ranks.
In that regard, we assess three teams that should have gone harder for Tyagi at the IPL 2024 Auction and the reasons behind it.
#1 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) raised eyebrows aplenty over their tactics at the IPL 2024 Auction. Having nearly spent their entire purse on Pat Cummins before the SunRisers Hyderabad took him home, they splurged for Alzarri Joseph and Yash Dayal given that they desperately needed fast bowlers.
When you consider that they walked out of the auction with ₹2.85 crore left in their kitty, it is bemusing that they still have unsolved issues in their squad. One of them is certainly the presence of an Indian death-over option, having let Harshal Patel go.
Tyagi could have been the ideal fit in that regard and before the auction, conjecture would have expected RCB to go all out for him. Considering the eventual price at which GT acquired the bowler and Bangalore's unfulfilled requirements, they may regret not gunning harder for the Uttar Pradesh speedster's services.
The sight of Tyagi and Mohammed Siraj bowling in tandem could have also given a peek into the possible future of Indian cricket but that might have to wait a year at least now.
#2 Delhi Capitals (DC)
Having entered the IPL 2024 Auction with a purse of ₹28.95 crore, the Delhi Capitals (DC) were expected to do some serious shopping. Their budget for some of their targets would have shot up having acquired both Harry Brook and Tristan Stubbs for a bargain and it reflected in them gunning for Mitchell Starc while shelling out a fortune for Kumar Kushagra.
When you chalk out a possible playing XI though, there is room for just one overseas quick with Anrich Nortje likely to occupy that spot. With Indian players set to comprise the majority of the bowling attack, only Mukesh Kumar emerges as a death-bowling option.
DC should have done with another one in that regard with Tyagi being one of the best bets available at the auction. Factor in a case similar to RCB in that they didn't spend ₹9.9 crore of their available purse and it's flummoxing that they let Tyagi go for a throwaway bid.
The onus will now fall on Khaleel Ahmed to deliver an over or two at the death if required. It's important that the lanky left-arm seamer also stays fit with injuries often plaguing his career and the option of two overseas quicks resulting in the batting lineup wearing a brittle look.
#3 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Kolkata Knight Riders needed fast bowlers heading into the IPL 2024 Auction. They did fairly well to tick off that box too with the acquisitions of Starc and England's Gus Atkinson, apart from securing the Indian duo of Chetan Sakariya and Saqib Hussain at base price.
That said, they might still have to turn to one of their mystery spinners to deliver overs at the death. Starc aside, they could have Andre Russell as the only other proven death-bowling option in the first XI, considering that Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora remain untested at that stage.
You wonder if they could have gunned for Tyagi in that regard given that he often gets his mean yorker on the money and is one of the better exponents of it in India among the younger crop of bowlers.
His presence would have given the Knight Riders a point of difference in the death overs, particularly in more batting-friendly conditions.
Which of these teams do you think should have gone harder for Kartik Tyagi at the IPL 2024 Auction? Have your say in the comments section below!