3 big buys of IPL 2021 who might go unsold at the IPL Auction 2022
The eight existing Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises revealed their retention list after the deadline for the same ended on November 30. A total of 27 players were retained by the franchises.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) utilized the maximum limit and retained four players each. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) decided to retain three players each. Punjab Kings (PBKS) retained the least number of players - two.
The window for the two new IPL franchises - Ahmedabad and Lucknow - to pick a maximum of three players opened on December 1. The deadline for Ahmedabad and Lucknow to choose players ahead of the mega auction will end on December 25.
IPL Auction 2022: From elite buys to obscurity?
A few players released by franchises ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction were purchased for exorbitant sums during the IPL 2021 auction. Having failed to make an impact in the cash-rich T20 league, they might even go unsold at the upcoming auction. We profile three such cricketers.
#3 Krishnappa Gowtham - Chennai Super Kings (₹9.25 crore)
33-year-old Krishnappa Gowtham was purchased by CSK for a whopping price of ₹9.25 crore, making him the most expensive uncapped player in the history of the IPL. An off-spinner from Karnataka, Gowtham has an impressive first-class record. He has claimed 166 scalps in 43 matches at an average of 24.57.
In his T20 career, Gowtham has 48 wickets from 67 matches at a strike rate of 26.3. Apart from being a good off-break bowler, he is a decent batter as well and even has a first-class hundred to his name. Gowtham's record impressed CSK enough to splurge a massive amount on him.
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Ironically, Gowtham did not play a single match for CSK in IPL 2021. In fact, the only time he was in the news during the edition was for the wrong reason.
Coming on as a substitute in a match against DC, Gowtham dropped a simple catch of Shimron Hetmyer at a crucial juncture in the game. The drop proved costly as Hetmyer went on to take DC past the finish line in the match.
#2 Jhye Richardson – Punjab Kings (₹14 crore)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) have a habit of splurging a bit too much on players who haven’t exactly established themselves. The decision to purchase Australian speedster Jhye Richardson for ₹14 crore surprised a few experts.
The move backfired big time for PBKS. The 25-year-old Aussie was completely wayward. He played three matches in which he picked up as many scalps, but leaked runs at an economy rate of 10.63. Richardson did not turn up for the UAE leg of IPL 2021 to put the franchise in further trouble as it was difficult to find last-minute replacements owing to COVID-19 restrictions.
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Richardson has already represented Australia in all three formats of the game. He has a decent record in T20 cricket, having claimed 85 wickets in 70 matches at a strike rate of under 18. However, he seemed a bit raw for the IPL stage.
#1 Chris Morris – Rajasthan Royals (₹16.25 crore)
Rajasthan Royals (RR) made perhaps one of the riskiest moves in an IPL auction when they purchased South African all-rounder Chris Morris for a record price of ₹16.25 crore. With all due credit to Morris’ skills with both bat and ball, the amount seemed to be a tad too high for the 34-year-old.
Morris’ underwhelming performance in IPL 2021 proved critics right. While he did a decent job during the first half of the edition in India, the South African was completely off the boil in the UAE leg. In the end, he finished with 15 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 25.06, not bad numbers. But his economy rate of 9.17 was way too high.
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Moreover, but for that one match against DC, when he blasted 36 off 18 in the first half of IPL 2021, Morris did not do much with the bat. He only ended up scoring 67 runs. Although, to be fair to him, it must be mentioned that he did not get too many opportunities to prove his worth with the willow.
The bottom line though is that Morris is not in the same league as say England all-rounder Ben Stokes, and the same reflected in his below-par performances.