From Grassroot to the Theatre of Dreams ft. Uncapped talents

Ramesh Kumar – Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 20 lakh)

It is probably the biggest story from the 2022 IPL Mega Auction, it is a story that will forever have its place in the history. The 23-year-old spinning all-rounder, Ramesh Kumar aka Narine Jalalabadiya was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders for just Rs 20 lakh. 

Despite not having played any representative cricket, Ramesh made it into the KKR setup, purely on the back of his tennis-ball skills. Once it caught the attention of Gurkeerat Singh Mann, it was only a matter of time before KKR’s Abhishek Nayar got the word. His rise to prominence was his ten-ball half-century, which is here on YouTube.

Prashant Solanki – Chennai Super Kings (Rs 1.2 crore)

When CSK got into a tussle with the Rajasthan Royals over the 21-year-old Prashant Solanki, there was a bit of chaos on the social media. The Chennai fans were surprised that the franchise was in a bidding war over a player that most were unaware of. For CSK, the Mumbaikar was not just aware but a very well-known commodity. 

Prashant solanki bowling vs Devdutt padikkal in Vijay Hazare Trophy 😂💛🦁

Welcome to #CSK champ 🦁🔥#IPLMegaAuction2022 pic.twitter.com/PIzDdKFxqA

— MaayoN ᶜˢᵏ😎🎩💫 (@itz_satheesh) February 13, 2022

The leg-spinner was involved with MS Dhoni’s side as a net-bowler, over the last two seasons, being a menace in the training camp for the batters. Solanki has played just the one T20 but his ability was well televised during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he struck 21 times. To add to that, the leg-spinner has shown enough control over variations, pace and lines to impress the four-time IPL champions. 

Ashok Sharma – Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 55 lakh)

KKR’s eye for local talents is perhaps a story in itself. But when they got the 19-year-old Ashok Sharma, it was after an intense bidding war with the Rajasthan Royals. Now what is the story here? Having impressed the Royals with his raw pace in the Red Bull trials, the Rajasthan pacer was picked by the Knights, for Rs 55 lakh. 

With Dishant Yagnik’s guidance and help, the pacer made it to the trials of both KKR and RR, the two franchises that eventually fought for him. Suffering a load of personal worries, the pacer’s journey has landed him an IPL stint. What made the Knights pick him? His raw pace, ability to extract bounce and hurry the batter, something that the Knights have looked at. 

Fazalhaq Farooqi – Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rs 50 lakh)

Having made his international debut in 2021, Fazalhaq Farooqi is relatively a hidden tale. The Afghan left-arm pacer, who was previously part of the CSK setup, as a net-bowler, caught the attention of Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

With the genuine ability to hit the 140+ kmph mark, the left-arm was creating chaos in the CSK camp, against the batters. With Dale Steyn being Sunrisers’ bowling coach, it will only be a matter of time before the left-arm pacer is paired alongside the likes of Umran Malik in the playing XI. 

Abhijeet Tomar – Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 40 lakh)

Abhijeet Tomar has only played five T20s in his entire cricketing career but there was something that was enough to convince the Knight Riders to pick him at the Auction. While he might not have the most convincing of techniques, the right-hander’s unique ability of smacking the ball without much efforts made KKR pick him. 

His stint with Bikaner Desert Challengers might have made him stand-out amidst the others for the Knight Riders, who in this Auction has made a living out of such selection. 

Subhranshu Senapati – Chennai Super Kings (Rs 20 lakh)

In the most unlikely of fashions, CSK have picked a whole group of youngsters in their extended 25-man squad. However, unlike other youngsters, Subhranshu Senapati is built different, he is calm, composed and already leads his side in white-ball formats. Having impressed the CSK management at the trial, it was only time before the franchise made it official. 

A key part of the CSK setup has been how the squad is built on the principles of leadership and process. Senapati is a perfect fit in the setup, learning his trade from Biplab Samantray. His knocks against Tamil Nadu is just cherry on top of his abilities as a cricketer. 

B Sai Sudharshan – Gujarat Titans (Rs 20 lakh)

Sai Sudharshan announced his arrival in the 2021 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League. Ever since the start of TNPL, it has been a stage for dreams and the left-hander has made the fullest use of the opportunity. While he might have been picked by Gujarat Titans, in 2018, it was the Junior Super King stage, which provided him the vision. 

His rise to fame – with the Chepauk Super Gillies – televised nationally made his acclaims popular. While being nicknamed as the next “Chinna Thala”, the left-hander has indeed made the wave, living his dream playing the IPL just after a season of TNPL’s success. 

Ashwin Hebbar – Delhi Capitals (Rs 20 lakh)

If you have been watching domestic cricket for some time, Ashwin Hebbar would be a very familiar name. But for the uninitiated, he is Andhra Pradesh’s opener, who has in the last two years created a ripple effect in the white-ball formats. 

Since 2020, the right-handed opener has scored 421 runs, averaging 52.63, at a strike-rate of 121.3. It was only time before an IPL franchise noticed the efforts of the Andhra batter. With Delhi Capitals building themselves as an aggressive side, Hebbar’s inclusion is only fitting. 

Mukesh Choudhary – Chennai Super Kings (Rs 20 lakh)

Mukesh Chouhary’s last three figures in white-ball cricket: 2/79, 2/68 and 0/57 but despite the recent failure, CSK were quick in getting their bid. And that could only be attributed to the skillset of the 25-year-old left-arm pacer, who also possesses the long blade power to smack a few sixes. 

The franchise, which is run by seasoned cricket administrators, takes their scouting on the club-level and that is perhaps where they found the left-arm pacer’s skillset incredibly useful. With CSK believing in having plenty of like-for-like players, Mukesh fits in the bill. 

Tilak Varma – Mumbai Indians (Rs 1.7 crore)

When Mumbai Indians and CSK were going head-to-head for Tilak Varma, it was obvious that there was a talent involved. However, the magnitude of the talent might not still not be realized by the fans. The 19-year-old is a generational talent with a real ability to score runs at a steady pace in a rapidly changing format. 

Integral to Mumbai’s IPL success has been their scouting and similarly, they identified the left-hander as a key piece of the future puzzle. Varma might even start the IPL at No.4, such is his talent and his ability to hit the ball a long way. In the 2021-22 SMAT, his strike-rate of 147.26 stood out in the middle-over phase. 

Yash Dayal – Gujarat Titans (Rs 3.2 crore)

“140+ kmph, ability to swing both ways” defines Yash Dayal. The Uttar Pradesh pacer’s ability is really unheralded in domestic cricket and when the call came flying, he was busy sleeping. Since making his debut in 2018, the left-arm pacer has shaken Indian cricket, with lively performances even on the most lifeless of wickets. 

To add to that, the Uttar Pradesh pacer was earlier part of the Indian extended setup for the home ODI series against West Indies. And now with the 3.2 crore deal with the Gujarat Titans, it won’t be too long before the pacer could turn a new page in his cricketing career.