Top 3 steal buys at the IPL 2023 Auction

The IPL 2023 mini auction is officially in the history books. The highly anticipated event took place in Kochi on Friday, December 23, where the ten IPL franchises shelled out a combined total of ₹167 crores to sign as many as 80 players of their choice for the upcoming IPL season.

Several records tumbled in the very first half hour of the auction when the three most expensive auction deals in IPL history took place. Sam Curran became the highest-paid player in the cash-rich league when Punjab Kings (PBKS) splurged a record ₹18.50 crore for the English all-rounder.

80 players sold, 167 CR. spent, 29 overseas players, and @CurranSM became the costliest player in the history of #IPL🔥

JUST #IPL things😁

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Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) then went all-in for Australian prospect Cameron Green and obtained him as their most expensive buy at ₹17.50 crores. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) too paid a hefty sum of ₹16.25 crore to bring in Ben Stokes, while the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) paid ₹16 crores to buy Nicholas Pooran.

While the high-profile additions will grab the spotlight for the time being, the franchises also made several steals that could have an influence on the tournament. Fortunately for them, several franchises were able to fill the gaps in their XI from the previous season by signing the players they needed without having to break the bank.

On that note, let's take a look at the top three steal buys from the recently concluded IPL 2023 auction.

#3 Jhye Richardson for ₹1.5 cr to MI

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Given the frequent injury woes to star pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer, Mumbai Indians (MI) went into the auction in need of a backup option.

While they already had a left-arm option in Jason Behrendorff, MI went on the attain the services of Australian right-armer Jhye Richardson for just ₹1.5 crore.

With a base price of ₹1.5 crore, the Mumbai-based franchise were the only team to bid for Richardson. Given his immaculate recent form, it might prove to be an extremely shrewd move for Mumbai.

Major drop in Jhye Richardson’s price 🤯

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In the ongoing Big Bash League 2022, Richardson has picked up eight wickets at an outstanding average of 8.8 and a strike rate of 9.0 across just three innings.

Richardson's ability to swing the ball upfront and nail good yorkers at the death makes him a complete bowler. The MI owners and staff were cock-a-hoop after bagging Jhye for his base price of Rs. 1.5 crore, for they knew they had come out with a steal.

#2 Kane Williamson for ₹2 crore to GT

Kane Williamson is sold to Gujarat Titans.

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New Zealand's white-ball skipper Kane Williamson was the very first player to get his name called out at the auction.

Williamson was bought by the Gujarat Titans (GT) for his base price of ₹2 crores. After his name was announced, there was no immediate response. Following a few moments of silence, Gujarat decided to enter the fray and acquired his services with their only bid.

Picking him up at his base price could turn out to be a very smart move by the Gujarat-based franchise. Despite their successful campaign last year, Gujarat had their issues with the number three slot. The franchise tried several players, including Matthew Wade, Sai Sudharshan, and Vijay Shankar at No.3. However, none of them managed to stake their claim at the top of the order.

In Williamson, the Hardik Pandya-led side will find a reliable No. 3 batter, who can take an innings deep and act as a perfect sheet anchor as well.

Moreover, adding Williamson to the leadership group further enhances the vast experience and might of GT's think tank as his input will certainly be invaluable for his new franchise.

#1 Jason Holder for ₹5.75 cr to RR

Jason Holder is sold to the Rajasthan Royals.

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The most expensive player on this list, Jason Holder was roped in by last year's finalists Rajasthan Royals (RR) for ₹5.75 crores on Friday.

In an auction where other all-rounders including Green (₹17.5 cr), Stokes (₹16.25 cr) and Curran (₹18.50) went for exorbitant amounts, it was very canny for Rajasthan to acquire Holder for less than ₹6 crores.

Going into the IPL 2023 mini-auction, RR were desperately in need of an all-rounder who would bridge the gap between their five specialist batters and bowlers.

Holder is currently one of the best fast-bowling all-rounders available, who has showcased his mettle in international cricket and franchise cricket for some years now. Placing him in the starting XI will not only extend their batting lineup but will also provide skipper Sanju Samson with six proper bowling options at his disposal.