IPL Auction: The Most Expensive Players bought by every franchise
The mega-auction for the Indian Premier League 2022 is scheduled to be held on the 12th and 13th of February. Over 1214 players are set to go under the hammer. The event is expected to be grander and more competitive than before, with the participation of 10 franchises and a rich base of talent.
As in previous auctions, franchises are expected to engage in aggressive bidding wars for few players to bolster their chances of lifting the coveted silverware. We present below the most expensive players bought by every franchise at auction:
#Punjab Kings - Jhye Richardson (INR 14 Crore, IPL 2021 Auction)
Australian pacer Jhye Richardson stole the show in his debut IPL season after being bought by the Punjab Kings for a hefty sum of INR 14 crore, almost ten times his base price.
However, Richardson's run at the franchise was not as stellar, as he featured in only 3 matches in the first leg of the tournament, and did not show up for the second leg held in the UAE. The 25-year old picked only 3 wickets, at a high economy of 10.63. The pacer was released by Punjab Kings ahead of the mega-auction and shall be going under the hammer again.
#Rajasthan Royals - Chris Morris (INR 16.25 Crore, IPL 2021 Auction)
Chris Morris has already created ripples on the auction table, fetching high prices for his services in the past from the likes of Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
However, the Protea created history at last year's auction as he went down as the most expensive player sold at the auction, bettering the tally of Yuvraj Singh in 2015. The outcome did not turn out to be as expected for the Royals, which was predominantly on account of the batting position given to Morris. The 34-year old picked 15 wickets and scored just 67 runs in the season. He has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket a few weeks ago.
#Kolkata Knight Riders - Pat Cummins (INR 15.50 Crore, IPL 2020 Auction)
Talismanic Australian pacer Pat Cummins broke the charts at the IPL 2020 Auction as he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for an amount of INR 15.50 crore. With his, he broke the record of INR 14.5 crore paid by Rising Pune Supergiant for Ben Stokes.
Ever since, the pacer has had an average run with the ball, picking up 21 wickets in as many matches, but has turned out to be a handy option with the willow lower down the order.
#Royal Challengers Bangalore- Kyle Jamieson (INR 15 Crore, IPL 2021 Auction)
Royal Challengers Bangalore splurged their purse to add Kiwi pace sensation Kyle Jamieson to their ranks ahead of the 2021 season. The franchise indulged in a competitive bidding war with Punjab Kings and finally bought Jamieson for the price of INR 15 crore.
The pacer, playing in his inaugural season, picked up 9 wickets in as many matches for the Bengaluru-based franchise, but was expensive with an economy rate of 9.60. Jamieson was not among the list of retentions by the franchise, and shall be participating in the mega-auction of 2022.
#Sunrisers Hyderabad - Manish Pandey (INR 11 Crore, IPL 2018 Auction)
Manish Pandey was the first Indian to score a century in the Indian Premier League in 2009, and also won Man of the Match in the IPL 2014 Final.
The middle order batter was bought for a whopping INR 11 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the previous mega-auction held in 2018. However, the investment did not pan out well for SRH this season, as Pandey managed to score only 284 runs in 15 matches, at an average of 25.81.
Despite his lean patch, the franchise reposed their faith in Pandey for the upcoming season, and he became the one of the mainstays of their batting setup. Ever since, Pandey has scored 1061 runs in 35 matches at an average of 36.58.
#Mumbai Indians - Krunal Pandya (INR 8.80 Crore, IPL 2018 Auction)
Krunal Pandya was in high demand at the previous mega-auction held in 2018, becoming the Man of the Match in the IPL 2017 Final. After a hard-fought bidding war, Mumbai Indians utilized their Right To Match (RTM) card to retain the all-rounder. for INR 8.8 crore.
Krunal had a decent season, scoring 228 runs and picking up 12 wickets in 14 matches in the season. He was retained by the side in the forth coming seasons, and became one of the core members of the squad.
#Delhi Capitals - Yuvraj Singh (INR 16 Crore, IPL 2015 Auction)
Yuvraj Singh (16 Crore INR) has become the most expensive buy in history of IPL. He goes to Delhi Daredevils. #iplauction
Similar to the previous auction, Yuvraj Singh was the most sought after player on this occasion, too, and in the process broke his own record for the highest pick at the auction, with Delhi Capitals securing his services for an unprecedented amount of INR 16 crore.
However, the seasoned all-rounder failed to emulate his feats from the previous season. He had a lackluster outing, with just 236 runs from 10 matches, and was released by the franchise in the next year.
#Chennai Super Kings - Ravindra Jadeja (INR 9.75 Crore, IPL 2012 Auction)
Then defending champions Chennai Super Kings secured the services of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for an amount of 9.75 crore in the IPL 2012 Auction. The Saurashtra all-rounder picked up 12 wickets and scored 191 runs in the 19 matches he played in the season.
Ever since, Jadeja has become an integral part of the CSK unit, becoming their lead spinner since Ashwin's departure from the side in 2018. He was retained for an amount of INR 16 crore by the franchise ahead of this year's mega auction, making him the most expensive player in the history of the franchise.