IPL auction 2022 took place on Saturday and Sunday in Bengaluru with a total of 204 cricketers being sold from the final list of 600. While some had to return home empty handed, a few lucky ones ended up becoming overnight millionaires. Some of the biggest names in world cricket were up for grabs in the IPL auction 2022 but there were also players only a few had known about. As the teams splurged over 550 crore on a total of 204 players, there were some cricketers for whom Christmas came early.
We look at the surprise picks on whom teams splashed the cash on:
Nicholas Pooran: (base price of Rs 1.50 crore) - Bought by SunRisers Hyderabad for Rs 10.75 crore
There is no questioning the talent Nicholas Pooran has in his locker but he has failed to kick on from the promise he had shown in his early years. The SunRisers Hyderabad splashed the cash on the West Indian left-hander but they might have missed his performances for Punjab Kings last season.
Pooran was in atrocious form in IPL 2021. He played 11 innings for PBKS, scoring a meagre 85 runs at a woeful average of 7.72. His recent showing for the West Indies have also been under par. SRH will be praying that's not the case this season.
Wanindu Hasaranga (base price of Rs 1 crore) - Bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 10.75 crore
While the Sri Lankan cricketer sits atop ICC's T20I bowling rankings, his performances last season were nothing short of disappointing. The likes of Tabraiz Shamsi, Adil Rashid and Shakib Al Hasan are also placed high on ICC rankings yet received no takers, but RCB decided to spend big on a player who didn't really impress in IPL 2021.
The Sri Lankan played two matches last season, bowling a total of six overs. He went wicketless and on top of that was smashed for 60 runs to end up with an economy rate of 10. Hasaranga could very well, set IPL 2022 alight because the talent is surely there, but it's an expensive gamble that RCB have taken.
Rahul Tewatia (base price of Rs 40 lakh) - Bought by Gujarat Titans for Rs 9 crore
A base price of Rs 40 lakh, Tewatia ended up being sold for a whopping Rs 9 crore and going by his performances in recent times, does he really warrant that sort of bid? His claim to fame remains the five sixes he hit off Sheldon Cottrell in IPL 2020 but has done nothing of note since.
He had played 14 matches last season for Rajasthan Royals, taking eight wickets at an economy rate of 9.18. In 11 innings, he scored 155 runs at an average of 15.50 and a strike rate of 105.44. Even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Tewatia played five matches, scoring a total of 50 runs and taking four wickets. Nothing that stands out and would make one spend big. For Gujarat Titans' sake, however, we hope he proves us wrong.
Tim David (base price of Rs 40 lakh) - Bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 8.25 crore
Let's be clear, the Singapore cricketer is in this list only because of his relative anonymity and the price he fetched in the auction. Few in India would have heard the name of Tim David before the auction but he became a social media sensation after MI splurged on him. David has been doing well in associate-level cricket but raised eyebrows through his performances in the Big Bash League.
He swapped Perth for Hobart in 2020 and has been a big hit. In total, he has scored 606 runs in the BBL in 37 innings at a strike rate of 153.42. Last season for Hobart Hurricanes, he scored 218 runs in 14 innings, striking at a rate of 163.91 and took two wickets to go along with it. He also set PSL 2022 alight with his big-hitting and he could very well prove to be a game-changing buy for Mumbai Indians.
Shivam Mavi (base price of Rs 2 crore) - Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 7.25 crore
It's no secret that the KKR management have a liking for Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti. Ever since the duo were picked up after their exploits in the U19 World Cup in 2018, they have remained a part of the KKR family despite being injured for the entire IPL 2019. Mavi had his best season last year for KKR, picking up 11 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate of 7.24. Even after taking all these factors into consideration, the Rs 7.25 crore bid still appears to be a little too much for the right-arm seamer but if Mavi can flourish under the guidance of senior pros like Pat Cummins, Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav then KKR could well go down as one of the most formidable bowling attacks in the IPL.