OVERVIEW
Follow UsThe IPL mega auction is upon us and like all the past events, this promises to be a cracker. With the IPL Governing Council deciding to raise the purse per team to 90 Crore each, and with two new teams on offer, we are going to witness some of the biggest bidding wars in the competition's history.
Here, we are going to provide a bird’s eye view on where the team stands ahead of the auction and the positions they have filled up so far.
Chennai Super Kings
Retained Players: Ravindra Jadeja (16 crore), MS Dhoni (12 crore), Moeen Ali (8 crore), Ruturaj Gaikwad (6 crore)
Purse Remaining for Auction 2022: Rs 48 crore
MS Dhoni provides the brand recall value to the CSK franchise and it was a no-brainer why the four-time champions decided to retain the former Indian skipper despite him being past his prime as a cricketer. However, by retaining Ravindra Jadeja, looked by many as the next CSK skipper, as the first pick suggests that Dhoni might be a short-term arrangement. The side secured the services of Moeen Ali, a potent hitter of spin-bowling, and rising youngster Ruturaj Gaikwad for a combined 14 crore that covers a lot of bases. In these four options, they have four readily available players who make it to the final Playing XI without any hesitation while providing a diverse set of options to work around with.
Mumbai Indians
Retained Players: Rohit Sharma (16 crore), Jasprit Bumrah (12 crore), Suryakumar Yadav(8 crore), Kieron Pollard (6 crore)
Purse Remaining for Auction 2022: Rs 48 crore
Letting go of Hardik Pandya, a player they had invested heavily in the last seven years must have been a difficult choice for Mumbai Indians, but the option of settling down with only four players means they had to look for their best cases. Rohit is the icon face, Bumrah is indispensable while Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard remain two solid match-winners. Not bowling anymore worked against Hardik’s case but then now that he is the captain of a franchise from his home state, it is a win for him as well. Mumbai will look for a wicket-keeping option as well, and may as well try to bring Ishan Kishan back once again for his big-hitting prowess.
ALSO READ - IPL 2022 mega auction: Indian pacers - strike bowlers, phase specialists and young guns
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Retained Players: Virat Kohli (15 crore), Glenn Maxwell (11 crore), Mohammed Siraj (7 crore)
Purse Remaining for Auction 2022: Rs. 57 crore
With AB de Villiers retiring from the sport, RCB settled with only three players ahead of the 2022 auction and that has helped them with a balance purse of 57 Crore. It is actually a pretty good position to be in, especially because in the form of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammed Siraj, they have three players who offer consistency. The Mike Hesson-led think tank can build the side around Kohli and Maxwell while looking for a captaincy option that would further strengthen the batting order. Given they would have to splurge a huge amount to get a captain on board, it was wise of them to settle with three players instead of four, which many thought would be Devdutt Padikkal or Harshal Patel. Now, don’t be surprised if David Warner marshalls them to the ground as the leader of the pack in a couple of months' time.
ALSO READ: IPL 2022 mega auction: Wicketkeepers – The Big picks, the versatile and uncapped jewels
Kolkata Knight Riders
Retained Players : Andre Russell (12 Cr), Venkatesh Iyer (8 Cr), Varun Chakravarthy (8 Cr), and Sunil Narine (6 Cr)
Purse Remaining for Auction 2022: Rs 48 crore
Kolkata Knight Riders smartly rolled their sleeves by retaining the four-most promising players while getting rid of Shubman Gill, who, despite his prodigious talent, hasn’t been able to take off in the T20 world. The Knight Riders, who had retained Narine for INR 8.5 crore ahead of the 2018 mega auction, have got him at a discount. While there is a lot of conversation around Narine’s utility and especially the sum of 6 crore offered, he has that knack of pushing the boundary and the KKR management understands that better than anyone else. And now that they have found four players who could be the key to their momentum game. Surely, the franchise would be on the lookout for an Indian keeper and some foreign pacers as a priority and wouldn’t mind shelling out big bucks for the same as well.
Rajasthan Royals
Retained Players: Sanju Samson (14 crore), Jos Buttler (10 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (4 crore)
Purse Remaining for Auction 2022: Rs 62 crore
Rajasthan Royals followed the same formula as that of Royal Challengers Bangalore but they were smart in retaining an uncapped Indian player in Yashasvi Jaiswal for just four crore, hence they are left with 62 crore rupees to splurge around in the auction. One of the primary factors why one would think that the Royals are better placed than other sides is simply because of the balance that Samson and Buttler provide to the side. Both can keep, both can open the innings and both can lead the side. The all-in-one package has ensured that RR does not enter a huge bidding war for keepers whose value would skyrocket due to the specialization role. Kumar Sangakkara, the Head Coach and the Head of Cricket Operations, would be keen to build the squad around the duo and try to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Delhi Capitals
Retained Players: Rishabh Pant - INR 16 cr, Axar Patel - INR 9 cr, Prithvi Shaw - INR 7.5 cr, Anrich Nortje - INR 6.5 cr
Purse Remaining for Auction 2022: Rs 47.5 crore
In the last few years, Delhi Capitals had accumulated one of the strongest cores and the auction was going to affect them the most. Being pushed to the corner, they made the difficult choice of letting Shreyas Iyer and Kagiso Rabada go but convinced Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw and Anrich Nortje - four important cogs in their wheel. From an opening batter to a wicket-keeper cum leader and two invaluable T20 bowlers, they have covered a lot of bases during the retention and can form the side around it. Like the Royals, they have the most potent combination set already, which will keep them in good stead.
Punjab Kings
Retained Players: Mayank Agarwal (Rs 12 crore) and Arshdeep Singh (Rs 4 crore)
Purse Remaining for IPL 2022: Rs 72 crore
In 2018, Punjab had retained only Axar Patel, and following their philosophy of entering the auction with a maximum purse, they have let everyone go, except Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh. Even though the players have cost 16 Crore in total, they would have a total 72 Crore for the auction day. Retaining Mayank was a smart choice, knowing the evolution that the Karnataka batter has had in the last three years. Arshdeep is a fantastic choice, and provides a solid option in both the short and long term but letting go of Ravi Bishnoi has raised a lot of eyeballs. Finding an able replacement for him would be a challenge but like every auction, it is guaranteed that they will be the most active team in the auction room.
ALSO READ: IPL 2022 mega auction: Overseas All-Rounders – The unmissables and hidden gems
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Players Retained: Kane Williamson (Rs 14 crore), Abdul Samad (Rs 4 crore), Umran Malik (Rs 4 crore)
Purse Remaining for IPL Auction 2022 - Rs 68 crore
Sunrisers Hyderabad wanted to retain Rashid Khan - arguably the best T20 cricketer in the world - but couldn’t find a middle ground. The franchise’s interest to retain Williamson as the first pick was justified and hence, Rashid decided to join Ahmedabad after internal draft arrangements. However, by retaining the Jammu and Kashmir duo of Abdul Samad and Umran Malik, they have ensured that a humungous 68 Crore are reserved in the bank to assemble the remaining squad. That is a great position to be in for the management, led by Brian Lara and Dale Steyn.
ALSO READ: Doing the unthinkable: Anticipating the 2022 IPL auction
Lucknow Super Giants
Players Retained: KL Rahul (17 cr) Marcus Stoinis (9.2 cr) Ravi Bishnoi (4 cr)
Purse Remaining for IPL Auction 2022 - Rs 58 crore
The latest entrant to the IPL, Lucknow Super Giant snapped KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, and Ravi Bishnoi ahead of the auction, boosting their system while still having as much as 58 Crore for the weekend. That they have Rahul - the highest run-scorer in the tournament in the last three years - and a useful all-rounder in Stoinis and a rising leggie in Bishnoi makes for a solid combination to keep their position grounded ahead of the auction.
Gujarat Titans
Retained Players: Hardik Pandya (Captain) – Rs 15 crore, Rashid Khan – Rs 15 Crore, Shubman Gill – Rs 8 Crore
Purse Remaining for IPL Auction 2022 - Rs 52 crore
After having snapped in Ashish Nehra and Vikram Solanki as the backroom staff, Gujarat Titans, the last team in the 15th edition of the IPL, have brought in local lad Hardik Pandya as the skipper while also bringing in Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill. While the one can question the reason behind Gill’s inclusion, especially knowing his lacklusture T20 performance, it is possibly a long-term bet, with Gill providing enough glimpse to become one of the superstars in Indian cricket.
