IPL 2022 Auction: 3 teams that had a solid auction and 2 that didn’t
The IPL 2022 Auction in Bengaluru saw 204 players picked up by the 10 franchises on February 12 and 13. While 67 of those were overseas players, 137 Indians, both capped and uncapped, were sold at the auction.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan fetched a whopping ₹15.25 crore and returned to five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) as the most expensive purchase. England's Liam Livingstone was the most expensive overseas signing at ₹11.50 crore, with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) roping him in.
Fast-bowler Avesh Khan broke the record for the most expensive uncapped signing in IPL auction history. New franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) shelled out ₹10 crore to avail Avesh's services at the IPL 2022 Auction.
3 teams that had a solid IPL 2022 Auction
The franchises endured varying fortunes during the bidding process, owing to the dynamics, ebbs, and flows of the whole thing. While the rosters have been filled up, no team is a runaway favorite or an underwhelming underdog at the end of it all.
Here, we take a look at three teams that had a solid IPL 2022 Auction:
#1 Punjab Kings
By some distance, this was the best auction that Punjab Kings (PBKS) have enjoyed in many years now. Having perennially underperformed at player auctions of yore, PBKS set out to turn things around and they did that to great effect as well.
The clarity in their bidding process, as well as a lack of cacophony, distinctly stood out at their table this time around.
Having retained Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh beforehand, the Kings built a solid Indian core with the additions of Shikhar Dhawan, Rahul Chahar, Shahrukh Khan and Sandeep Sharma.
In Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Kagiso Rabada and Jonny Bairstow, the 2014 finalists have four bona fide overseas match-winners in their ranks. They didn't fill their last overseas slot, but the Kings have capable backups across both Indian and foreign dimensions who can walk into the setup.
Conjecture deems the Punjab Kings to be hot favorites for the upcoming IPL season. Looking at the squad they've assembled, we can't really disagree, can we?
#2 Lucknow Super Giants
For a new franchise, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pretty much aced their debut auction. In what was an admirable display of clarity, the Super Giants went on to assemble one of the most well-rounded outfits at the IPL 2022 Auction.
Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi were already drafted prior to the auction along with captain KL Rahul. A host of other multi-skilled players - Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya and Quinton de Kock to name a few - were signed up at the auction.
Batting depth and a plethora of bowling resources will surely please skipper Rahul. With two shrewd minds in head coach Andy Flower and mentor Gautam Gambhir at the auction table, LSG barely put a foot wrong.
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While they do have the smallest roster among the franchises, there isn't a box that has been left unticked. Half the job has been done at the IPL 2022 Auction and we can expect the Super Giants to arrive in grand fashion in their debut season.
#3 Mumbai Indians
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For large parts of the IPL 2022 Auction, the Mumbai Indians (MI) think tank were bystanders. They seemed content in playing the waiting game. While they did snap up Ishan Kishan for a hefty fee on the first day, they were rather quiet on the second day as well.
That was until they pounced on the opportunity to grab Jofra Archer's services, making their plans very clear. While Archer may not turn out this season, the very thought of him bowling in tandem with Jasprit Bumrah will send shivers down the spines of opposition batters.
Add to that the acquisitions of the hard-hitting Tim David and an absolute bargain at ₹1.5 crore for Tymal Mills. If there's one thing we've learnt over the years, it is to never discount the lesser-known names that MI tends to unearth out of nowhere.
MI are known to start slow on the field before peaking and finishing the season on a high. Safe to say they took that too seriously and came up trumps at the IPL 2022 Auction too, didn't they?
2 teams that didn't have a solid IPL 2022 Auction
While the aforementioned three franchises had a fruitful time at the auction table, the same can't be said about all of their compatriots. We now look at two teams that could have done a lot better during the bidding process last weekend:
#1 Gujarat Titans
One of the teams that squandered a solid start to their IPL 2022 Auction proceedings were Gujarat Titans (GT). Many argued that they had drafted a more solid core in comparison to the other new franchise, the Lucknow Super Giants. However, the auction stories of the two teams were the exact opposite of one another.
The Titans acquired fast-bowlers Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson, making for a potent attack that also included ace spinner Rashid Khan. That they managed to pouch English superstar Jason Roy at base price hinted towards the franchise striking the right chords.
However, towards the end of the IPL 2022 Auction, the Titans were left soul-searching with their balance going helter-skelter. They had to make a couple of hurried purchases in Matthew Wade and Wriddhiman Saha, owing to the absence of a wicketkeeper. This has left a question mark hanging over their ideal overseas combination.
Moreover, an unforeseen ₹9 crore shelled out on Rahul Tewatia dented their purse towards the end of Day 1, meaning that they had to play catch up thereafter. GT have match-winners but unless they strike the right balance early on, it could be a long season ahead, especially considering that they're a new side.
#2 Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) strategy on Day 1 of the IPL 2022 Auction was clear - try to reassemble the old guard. However, they didn't quite budget it wisely enough, leaving them crippled for funds later on over the weekend.
Pat Cummins, Nitish Rana and Shivam Mavi were all added to the roster again but a humongous amount of their purse went into their reacquisition. Add to it their most expensive buy in Shreyas Iyer at ₹12.25 crore and there was a lot of catching up to do for KKR at the IPL 2022 Auction.
Of course, Iyer's acquisition was wise considering the need for a long-term captain and he has been handed the reins of the team as well.
That said, there are a few glaring issues emerging out of the KKR roster, with the biggest of them all being the absence of a reliable death-overs bowler. The lack of an enforcer against pace and a bona fide Indian wicket-keeper are other questions hanging over the Knight Riders' squad.
While Alex Hales is a potential answer for the pace enforcer's role, Sam Billings being a wicketkeeper might just keep the former out of the XI. The Knights nearly shelled out ₹10.5 crore on Nicholas Pooran with a remaining purse of only ₹20.5 crore.
The first XI isn't a bad one by any means alright, but KKR will have to find answers to their glaring issues sooner rather than later. Clearly, things could have gone far better with more clarity at the IPL 2022 Auction.