IPL Auction 2020: 5 best bargains buys
Ahead of the 2020 IPL season the players have gone under the hammer again, with an awful lot of money spent on cricketers from all round the world.
The big winner from the auction was Australian seamer Pat Cummins, who is currently ranked as the number one Test bowler in the world. He was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 15.5 crore (US $2.1m), making him the most expensive overseas player in IPL history - overtaking the record previously owned by Ben Stokes.
There were two other Australians joining Cummins as the most expensive players at the auction. The Kings XI Punjab won the auction for Glenn Maxwell, paying INR 10.75 crore (US $1.5m) for his services, while Chris Morris was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 10 crore (US $1.4m).
Elsewhere, there was a hefty paycheck for IPL debutant Sheldon Cottrell, who was bought by the Kings XI Punjab for INR 8.5 crore (US $1.2m). There was also big money spent on his international teammate Shimron Hetmyer, who was picked up by the Delhi Capitals for a fee of INR 7.75 crore (US $1.1m).
As for Indian players, 17-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, who recently became the youngest player to score a List A double ton, struck gold as the Sunrisers Hyderabad shelled out INR 2.4 crore (US $338,000) on the batsman.
However, not everyone was picked up at huge prices, and some players could prove to be very good value for money. Here are the five best bargain buys of the IPL 2020 auction.
#1 Deepak Hooda to Kings XI Punjab
Despite not having the best record in the IPL in recent years, Deepak Hooda was one of the most talented Indian players going up in the auction. Therefore, with the Kings XI Punjab picking him up for just INR 50 lakh (US $70,000), he could prove to be an excellent buy.
At 24, Hooda is still an improving player, and is really awaiting that breakthrough season in the IPL. If he can hit form with the Kings XI, he could be a real asset - especially given that he can have an impact in the game with both bat and ball.