5 players sold at IPL Auction 2023 who were net bowlers in the 2022 season

The IPL Auction 2023 culminated two days ago in Kochi on December 23. The mini auction saw 80 players from different parts of the world earning contracts worth a total of ₹167 crore from the 10 Indian Premier League franchises.

Bowlers and all-rounders were in high demand at the IPL Auction 2023. The spinners, meanwhile, did not fetch big deals as franchises splurged a lot of money on the fast bowlers.

Interestingly, five pace bowlers who worked as net bowlers in the previous season have received a promotion to the main squads of IPL teams. Here is a list of five net bowlers from the 2022 season who were sold at the IPL Auction 2023.

#1 Joshua Little

Joshua Little (right) impressed for Ireland at the 2022 T20 World Cup

Left-arm fast bowler Joshua Little became the first Irish cricketer to earn an IPL contract at this year's auction. Defending champions, the Gujarat Titans, signed him for ₹4.4 crore at the IPL Auction 2023.

Little is one of the top T20 bowlers in the world right now. He has never played in the IPL, but the Chennai Super Kings signed him as a net bowler for the 2022 season.

#2 Kulwant Khejroliya

Kulwant Khejroliya is now a KNIGHT!💜

Another left-arm fast bowler to feature on this list is Kulwant Khejroliya. The 30-year-old pacer from Jhunjhunu earned a contract from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the 2023 auction. He has represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals in previous seasons.

Khejorliya has played a total of five IPL matches, scalping three wickets at a strike rate of 31.67. His last IPL appearance came in 2019.

RCB roped him in as a net bowler last season. In 2023, however, Khejroliya will don the KKR jersey.

#3 Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma (left) was once a staple for the Indian team but is no longer on their radar

Former IPL Purple Cap winner Mohit Sharma surprisingly remained unsold at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. The right-arm pacer then joined the Gujarat Titans as a net bowler.

Sharma seems to have impressed the GT team management during net sessions as the defending champions signed him for ₹50 lakh at the IPL 2023 Auction.

#4 Mukesh Kumar

Spoke to Mukesh Kumar just moments after he was picked by @DelhiCapitals for INR 5.5 crore in the #IPL2023Auction

Here's what he had to say on his initial reaction and his emotions 👇

Do read and share 😊🏏

sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-f…

#CricketTwitter #IPL2023

Mukesh Kumar is a new-ball bowler from Bengal who recently made it to the Indian ODI squad. He is yet to play at the international level or in the IPL, but his performances in domestic cricket have been fantastic.

This fetched him interest from several franchises at the IPL Auction 2023. The Delhi Capitals eventually signed their former net bowler for ₹5.75 crore.

#5 Nishant Sindhu

LION ALERT 🦁

Nishant Sindhu - The WC winning Colt! 💛

#WhistlePodu #SuperAuction

Nishant Sindhu was a part of the Indian squad that won the U-19 World Cup earlier this year. He is a left-arm spin bowler and a left-handed batter. Many fans see him as a potential backup for star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad for IPL 2023.

Sindhu was one of the net bowlers for the Chennai-based franchise last season. At the IPL Auction 2023, the Super Kings fought a bidding war with Kolkata Knight Riders to recruit Sindhu.

CSK eventually roped him in for ₹60 lakh and will look to groom him for the future alongside fellow U-19 World Cup winner Rajyavardhan Hangargekar.