5 Biggest mistakes in IPL auction history

On or off the field, the drama never fails to mesmerize the fans when it comes to the IPL. The fans get to experience edge-of-the-seat excitement, be it during the auction or at the high-voltage matches played in the hot Indian summer.

From MS Dhoni (2008) to Varun Chakravarthy (2019), the IPL auction has witnessed several expensive and exciting buys over the years. While there have been bargain buys and players who have justified their price, several players have succumbed to the pressure of astronomical price tags and failed to put up a strong show.

The much-awaited auction for the 13th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League is all set to take place at the 'City of Joy' Kolkata on 19 December, and several domestic as well international stars will go under the hammer. While 997 players had initially registered for the auction, only the 332 shortlisted players (186 domestic, 143 overseas and 3 Associate Nations players) will be up for grabs.

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All eight franchises have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it will be interesting to see how they strategize their plans at Kolkata. Over the years there have been several surprising moves by the franchises which have gone on to to become major talking points; there could well be such moves at this year's auction too.

On that note, let us now look at the five biggest mistakes by the franchises in the history of the IPL auctions.

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#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore using RTM for Pawan Negi

Pawan Negi

Pawan Negi, who began his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils in 2012, joined Chennai Super Kings in season 7. After his two-year stint with MS Dhoni's men, Negi grabbed the headlines by earning a whopping INR 8.5 crore during the 2016 IPL auction upon his return to Delhi Daredevils.

Following that forgettable stint (57 runs and one wicket in eight matches), the Delhiite moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore for season 10 after being bought for INR 1 crore.

The slow left-arm orthodox bowler, who took 16 wickets apart from scoring 144 runs in 2017, almost joined Mumbai Indians ahead of 2018 IPL as the four-time winners came up with a bid of INR 1 crore. But RCB used their RTM to retain Negi, much to the surprise of their fans.

Negi's retention did not work for RCB at all. He failed to live up to the expectations spectacularly, managing just three runs and one wicket in 2018 and nine runs and three wickets in 2019.

Using RTM for Negi was a really shocking move by Kohli's men, considering the all-rounder's poor IPL stats.

#4 Kolkata Knight Riders releasing Chris Gayle ahead of 2011 auction

Chris Gayle

'The Universe Boss' Chris Gayle, who was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders during the first three editions, was released by the two-time winners ahead of the 2011 IPL auction. Surprisingly, he went unsold with a base price of $400,000 due to concerns that he would not be available for much of season 4 due to international commitments.

Later, he was drafted in as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

With just one win in the first five matches, RCB were languishing at the bottom of the table before Gayle's arrival. But the big-hitting Jamaican made an immediate impact with his exploits, eventually finishing the season as the highest run-getter with 608 runs - a feat he repeated in the very next season by amassing 733 runs.

The vastly experienced Gayle went on to establish himself as a mainstay in the RCB XI in subsequent editions, scoring big at the top of the order before joining Kings XI Punjab in 2018.

#3 Jaydev Unadkat being bought twice for huge money by Rajasthan Royals

Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat, who began his IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010, has so far represented five different franchises in the cash-rich league. Following his exploits with the ball for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 IPL where he claimed 24 wickets, the left-arm pacer earned a lucrative contract with Rajasthan Royals valued at a whopping INR 11.50 crore in 2018.

Unfortunately, Unadkat failed to recreate his magic for the inaugural IPL winners, managing just 11 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 9.65. This prompted the Rajasthan management to release the Saurashtra seamer ahead of 2019 IPL auction.

Much to the surprise of everyone though, the Jaipur-based franchise re-bid for Unadkat, eventually acquiring him for another huge sum of INR 8.4 crore. Unadkat once again failed to justify his price tag, managing just 10 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 10.66 which eventually led to his release ahead of the 2020 IPL auction.

#2 Deccan Chargers not outbidding CSK in the tie-breaker for Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja, who began his IPL career with Rajasthan Royals in 2008, moved to the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala for season 4. Due to the termination of the Kochi-based franchise, Jadeja entered the 2012 IPL auction and was expected to earn a lucrative contract given his all-round prowess.

While every franchise wanted to have a complete T20 player like Jadeja, it was actually the Chennai Super Kings who succeeded in their attempt to sign the all-rounder whose base price was $100,000.

But there was much drama during the intense bidding war that went up to a tie-breaker. Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers were tied after both bid $2 million for Jadeja. In the tie-breaker, CSK shelled out more to eventually acquire him for a record amount.

Over the years, the Saurashtra player has gone on to become one of the key members of CSK, scoring runs and picking up wickets at crucial junctures apart from contributing with his electric fielding.

#1 Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) choosing Pradeep Sangwan over Virat Kohli in 2008 IPL player draft for the U19 World Cup-winning players

Pradeep Sangwan and Virat Kohli

At the Under-19 players draft ahead of the inaugural IPL edition in 2008, each of the eight franchises had the option to select two Under-19 players. The Indian colts led by Virat Kohli were ruthless throughout the 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, eventually claiming the title in style by defeating South Africa in the final at Kuala Lumpur.

It was Delhi Daredevils who got the option to pick first among the eight franchises. The Daredevils chose left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan and signed him for $50,000 over fellow Delhiite and World Cup winning skipper Kohli. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore chose Kohli during the draft, signing him for $50,000.

While Kohli has gone on to become one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sangwan has failed to make it big. Delhi's loss has certainly been RCB's gain.