The best 11 of the biggest steals in the IPL 2024 auction ft. Kartik Tyagi and Wanindu Hasaranga
The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction in Dubai was dominated by high-profile signings that broke records left, right, and center. The first-ever overseas IPL auction resulted in the most expensive set of acquisitions of all time in the form of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who fetched a combined total of ₹45 crore.
However, bargain deals are as important as the high-profile signings in the grand scheme of things in the IPL. Steals are often rare in the auction, with the majority of the franchises well stacked, and such instances are often dictated by auction dynamics.
The timing of the player's name coming up at the IPL auction, coupled with the type of player and the fact whether other franchises require such a player - all factor in when it comes to acquiring a player well below what he is worth.
On that note, let us take a look at the best 11 of the biggest steals in the IPL 2024 auction.
Top order: Rachin Ravindra, Travis Head, and Manish Pandey
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) surprisingly secured the services of Rachin Ravindra for ₹1.8 crore. The majority predicted the New Zealand all-rounder to fetch a higher amount than that at the IPL 2024 mini-auction. While he lacks T20 experience, he can be molded into a serious player under MS Dhoni and will play a key role in their impending transition period.
Although not a steal per se, Travis Head comes across as an excellent acquisition for the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for ₹6.8 crore. The fact that there were not many credible openers in the player pool as well as the franchise desperately requiring a batter of his profile, makes it a fruitful one.
Several expected CSK to launch a bid for Manish Pandey, when in fact it was the batter's former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who secured his services for his base price of ₹50 lakh. The experienced Karnataka batter comes across as a solid batting backup in familiar territory and is also a gun fielder.
Middle order: Harry Brook and Tristan Stubbs
Delhi Capitals' (DC) middle order was in shambles in the IPL 2023 season, and despite the return of Rishabh Pant for the upcoming edition, it was a priority for the franchise to rectify the department.
Not only did they pick up the perfect candidate in Harry Brook, but they also managed to pick him for a price of ₹4 crore. The Englishman is in fine form at present and could be one of the players to watch out for in 2024.
DC also had the task of strengthening their wicketkeeping department since it is yet to be known whether Rishabh Pant can don the gloves or not. The franchise made a shrewd buy in the form of Tristan Stubbs for his base price of ₹50 lakh.
All-rounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Shardul Thakur, and Wanindu Hasaranga
The departure of Hardik Pandya has left the Gujarat Titans (GT) with a huge void to fill, and although they did not actively pursue a like-to-like all-rounder replacement in the auction, they roped in yet another talented Afghanistan player in Azmatullah Omarzai.
The all-rounder had a solid ODI World Cup campaign, and if Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed's performances so far are to be relied on, then GT have got themselves an excellent player on their hands.
Shardul Thakur's stint away from CSK has been far from ideal, and it seemed fit that the two parties reunite. The deal works out for both parties, with CSK looking for a player of Thakur's skillset, while the player was also desperate for a fresh start. The defending champions roped in Thakur for just a sum of ₹4 crore.
Wanindu Hasaranga was roped in by SRH following a single bid, which made him one of the biggest steals at the auction. The reaction of the SRH contingent at the auction table, which was rife with laughter and smiles, was proof enough as they bagged one of the best short format spinners for his base price of ₹1.50 crore.
Bowlers: Gerald Coetzee, Kartik Tyagi, and Mujeeb ur Rahman
Gerald Coetzee and the Mumbai Indians (MI) were destined to be together, but destiny did not dictate his price at the auction for sure. In a way, many predicted Coetzee's association with MI, but hardly a few anticipated it to be a steal deal.
Heading into the auction as one of the premier pace bowling options, the Proteas youngster went to the five-time champions for ₹5 crore. He is set to be a menacing presence for the batters at the Wankhede Stadium in the upcoming season.
The lack of bidding activity for Kartik Tyagi was highly surprising. Although he has had a bleak set of seasons, it was largely due to a lack of opportunities rather than a lack of ability. One of the best Indian uncapped pacers went to the Gujarat Titans for just ₹60 lakh.
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman continues to be one of the underrated T20 bowlers. Although he is the eighth-ranked T20I bowler in the world, he has made only 19 IPL appearances since his debut in 2018. He now has a fresh opportunity, and an ideal one at that, with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bagging him for his base price of ₹2 crore.
Furthermore, with Narine not getting any younger, Mujeeb could lead the spin department at the spin-friendly Eden Gardens in the future as well. The Afghan recently bowled a tight spell of 2-27 in the ongoing clash between the Melbourne Renegades and the Brisbane Heat.
What are some of the other steals at the 2024 IPL mini-auction? Let us know what you think.