The first session of 2022 IPL auction saw another season of splurging as several young players, including some uncapped, became millionaires in minutes as 10 teams fought off each other to buy the best of talents in the cricket arena.
Young Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan became the costliest buy in the IPL auction after Mumbai Indians picked him up for ₹15.25 crore outbidding Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. With this, Kishan has beaten Shreyas Iyer, who earlier went to Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹12.25 crore.
In a shocking move later in the day, Chennai Super Kings bought back their key pacer Deepak Chahar for ₹14 crore, surprising many fans and netizens.
Former Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Rahul Tewatia, who had played key role in crucial matches, was taken by Gujarat Titans for ₹9 crore. Tamil Nadu batter Shahruk Khan too got the same price from Punjab Kings. The two are uncapped players. Uncapped South African youngster Dewald Brevis made it to the Mumbai Indians fold at ₹3 cr.
Harshal Patel (RCB – ₹10.75cr), Wanindu Hasaranga (RCB – ₹10.75cr), Shardul Thakur (DC – ₹10.75cr), Prasidh Krishna (RR – ₹10cr), Nicholas Pooran (SRH – ₹10.75cr), Lockie Ferguson (GT – ₹10cr) were the other cricketers who cracked the ₹10cr club at the auction.
Auctioneer collapses
Amid the high voltage IPL auction at Bengaluru, Hugh Edmeades, the auctioneer, collapsed. He was presiding over the proceedings and team managements were bidding for Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga when Edmeades collapsed. He has been taken to hospital.
A BCCI spokesperson says: “Our auctioneer is stable. The medical guys are attending to him. He should be back for the next set.”
However, the IPL authorities have appointed broadcaster Charu Sharma as the new auctioneer for the rest of the auction.
The IPL auction was suspended for over an hour, after which Charu Sharma came on stage and took charge.
Earlier at the auction
Indian batter Shreyas Iyer predictably became the highest paid player among the marquee set, with Kolkata Knight Riders making a whopping bid of ₹12.25 crore, after an intense price war at the IPL mega auction underway in Bengaluru.
Iyer’s entry in KKR fold ensures a captaincy candidate for them, while the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise also got back their Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins for half the price at ₹7.25 crore.
One of the biggest gainers was South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, who fetched more than a million dollars, with Punjab Kings successfully buying him for ₹9.25 crore.
As it was known, senior India players had some great bids going their way, with Shikhar Dhawan getting ₹8.25 crore from Punjab Kings.
Also read: Ready reckoner: Big players, big money, and big IPL auction day
Ravichandran Ashwin also got ₹5 crore winning bid from Rajasthan Royals, while Trent Boult, with his left-arm swing bowling, laughed his way to the bank with a handsome ₹8 crore bid from Rajasthan Royals. The team also bought former RCB opener Devdutt Padikkal for ₹7.75 crore.
Mohamed Shami was taken by Gujarat Titans for ₹6.75 crore, the same amount that Lucknow Giants paid for Quinton de Kock.
Veteran South African cricketer Faf du Plessis was bought for ₹7 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The 37-year-old batter, with a base price of ₹2 crore, was cashed in by RCB after a bidding war with Du Plessis’s former team Chennai Super Kings.
(With inputs from Agencies)