IPL 2019: Top 5 bargain buys at the auction

Wriddhiman Saha was bought by SRH for 1.2 Cr.

The auction got concluded in Jaipur, and all the teams walked out pretty satisfied with what they bought in the six-odd hours. Every team had their eyes set on their short-listed players. At the end of the auction, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals returned with 25 players each. Mumbai and Bangalore took home 24 players.

Kings XI Punjab and the Sunrisers Hyderabad returned with 23 players each, while KKR yet again had to settle for the smallest squad, for the second time in 2 years, with just 21 players in the roster.

The title of being the highest buy at the auction was shared by 2 players this time, unlike the previous editions, with Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakaravarthy both going for Rs. 8.4 Cr, to Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab respectively.

Though the pockets were not very deep for most teams, the bidding wars had the same intensity nonetheless. There were a couple of things that would have surprised every fan who followed the auction. One of these being the big guns failing to find a home.

While there were those who were expected to score big at the auction, there were others who should have gone unsold but somehow managed to attract a bid. Among those who were sold, there were some good players who got a buyer but could have got a lot more than they did. These were real bargains, as most fans and experts would agree.

Here is a look at the top 5 bargain deals from the auction.

#5 Wriddhiman Saha

Saha has returned to Sunrisers Hyderabad, for just Rs. 1.2 Cr, his base price was Rs. 1 Cr. It is a very good bargain, especially considering the fact that teams like Mumbai, Bangalore and Punjab were all on the hunt for a backup keeper.

Wriddhiman Saha was with the Hyderabad side for the 2018 season too. In that season he played 11 innings and made 122 runs at an average of over 23 runs. It was a decent season, but his contribution with the gloves is something that SRH must have considered heavily, and thus they went after him.

Saha holds the record of being the first batsman to score a century in an IPL final, when he scored a hundred for KXIP in 2014, against the KKR. He is a good wicket-keeper and can play both as an opener and a middle order batsman. He could have gone for a lot more than his current price tag. Hyderabad would definitely be feeling lucky to have got his services at this low a price.