Top 5 steals of the IPL 2022 Auction
The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction kicked off in Bengaluru on 12th February. A total of 74 players were sold on day one, out of which 20 were foreign players. Ishan Kishan was the highest earner of the day as he returned to the Mumbai Indians for a whopping ₹15.25 crore.
Shreyas Iyer was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹12.25 crore, while Deepak Chahar returned to Chennai Super Kings for ₹14 crore. Shardul Thakur and Harshal Patel (₹10.75 crore) were some of the other prominent Indian players sold at the auction on the first day.
In terms of overseas players, Wanindu Hasaranga led the line after being wrapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹10.75 crore. David Warner (₹6.25 crore) and Mitchell Marsh (₹6.50 crore) are heading to Delhi, while their fellow Australian Pat Cummins is heading back to KKR for ₹7.25 crore.
While all eyes are usually on the players that fetch the highest amount of money, we take a look at some of the cut-price steals at the IPL Auction.
Top 5 steals of the IPL Auction 2022
#5 Jason Roy
Fun, fast and free-spirited! Bowlers no bhukko kadhi nakhwa, પોહચી ગયા છે, Jason Roy 💥
#TATAIPLAuction #IPLAuction https://t.co/c8nlnIsSRj
The England opener is a proper intent merchant at the top of the order. Jason Roy can be a joy to watch in full flow. Having proven himself in whiteball formats for his national side, Roy's now keen to make his mark in domestic leagues around the world.
The South African-born England batter was picked up by the new franchise Gujarat Titans at the base price of ₹2 crore at the IPL Auction. It was a tad surprising to see no other bidders for the 31-year old, who has been at the top of his game recently.
Leg-spin was identified as a glaring weakness in Roy's game but he's vastly improved against the tweakers since then. He recently smashed a blistering 116 off 57 balls in the Pakistan Super League. Jason Roy is a bonafide match-winner on his day. The Gujarat Titans now have him as a top-order option alongside Shubman Gill, at a significantly low amount.
#4 David Warner
stars 🤩
An electric #IPLAuction Day 1 saw us snap up 9⃣ stars 🤩
They say well begun is half done 😉
#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2022 https://t.co/pTYLDKFC7I
Well, at ₹6.25 crore, some might not consider David Warner to be a steal. To put it into context though, this is an excellent deal for the Delhi Capitals. The Australian is back to where it all started for him - in the capital city.
After his fallout with the SRH camp, Warner returned to his scintillating best in the T20 World Cup last year. The 35-year old won the player of the tournament as he ended up as the second-highest run-scorer, helping Australia win their maiden T20 title.
Simply said, David Warner is money! Bagging the services of the highest international run-scorer in the IPL at that price is a bit of a bargain. His opening stand with Prithvi Shaw also promises some fireworks.