IPL 2021: Rating the auction business of all 8 teams

The player auction for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) took place on February 18 in Chennai.

Most teams participated actively in the auction even though a limited number of players were on offer, but not all came away with what they were looking for. While some teams struck gold with value additions, others were left rueing what could have been.

In this article, we rate (out of 10) each team's auction business from worst to best. Note: Incoming trades which happened ahead of the IPL 2021 auction have also been considered.

#8 Punjab Kings - 5/10

Bought Players: Shahrukh Khan, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Saurabh Kumar, Fabian Allen, Moises Henriques, Riley Meredith, Jhye Richardson, Dawid Malan

Objectively speaking, PBKS didn't have a poor auction like the rating suggests as they acquired top-class T20 players such as Dawid Malan and Shahrukh Khan.

But their signings didn't really help plug the holes on the roster. The pace department needed beefing up, and Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith were signed with the same in mind. The prices, however, were exorbitant to say the least, and left PBKS without enough funds to sign even one world-class all-rounder.

KL Rahul doesn't have a single reliable all-rounder to call upon, and PBKS really should've made that their first priority in the IPL 2021 auction. Moreover, Richardson and Meredith are entirely untested at the IPL level, while many of the others aren't even going to be close to a spot in the playing XI.

#7 Royal Challengers Bangalore - 5/10

Bought Players: Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat

Traded Players: Daniel Sams, Harshal Patel

Only time will tell whether RCB had a good IPL auction or not, as their buys have the potential to be massive hits while also having the risk to be resounding flops.

Glenn Maxwell and Kyle Jamieson were signed for a combined amount of almost INR 30 crores. While the former has a shambolic IPL track record, Jamieson seemed like a good signing before being taken to the cleaners by Australia.

RCB also acquired Indian keepers in Mohammed Azharuddeen and KS Bharat, but quite where they fit into the batting lineup remains to be seen. At the end of the day, Virat Kohli is left without death bowlers, middle-order batsmen and depth once again, although Dan Christian might prove to be an astute buy.

On paper, and according to recent form, RCB may be on the wrong end of yet another IPL auction.

#6 Rajasthan Royals - 6/10

Bought Players: Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, K C Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh

RR splashed the cash on Chris Morris and acquired a solid Indian all-rounder in Shivam Dube, but overall they might be a touch disappointed with their buys in the IPL 2021 auction.

They had to shell out INR 16.25 crores for a player who isn't even part of his national team, while the Indian players they signed aren't going to compete for a spot in the playing XI. But at the time, Morris seemed to be a decent purchase to support Jofra Archer.

Archer is now going to miss a portion of IPL 2021, and RR are left short-handed in the pace department. They find themselves heavily reliant on their overseas core once again.

#5 Sunrisers Hyderabad - 6.5/10

Bought Players: Kedar Jadhav, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

SRH had very few spots available on the roster, and the two Indian players they purchased are decent additions. While Jadhav adds a wealth of experience to the previously struggling lower-middle order, Suchith proved his worth to the team even when he wasn't in the playing XI in IPL 2020.

But SRH could've done better with their final pick, Mujeeb. While the spinner joins a growing Afghanistan contingent in the side, there's next to no chance of him making the XI. The franchise might have been better served going after a player who would've been more than a backup.

Given the budget and spot constraints they had, though, SRH had a decent IPL auction - as usual.

#4 Chennai Super Kings - 7/10

Bought Players: Moeen Ali, Krishnappa Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth

Traded Players: Robin Uthappa

CSK had roster spots to fill in the IPL 2021 auction, and they took a rather unconvential route by picking three youngsters. Otherwise, the experienced quartet of Pujara, Ali, Gowtham and Uthappa made their way to the franchise.

CSK fixed their off-spin woes by signing Ali and Gowtham, and caused a cheer in the IPL 2021 auction room by bidding for Pujara. Overall, they plugged the only hole in the squad, which looks good on paper.

#3 Mumbai Indians - 7.5/10

Bought Players: Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Singh, James Neesham, Arjun Tendulkar

MI had another solid auction, and somehow strengthened their roster even further.

The signing of Chawla boosted the spin department, which was perhaps the only semblance of a weak link. The all-rounder trio of Coulter-Nile, Neesham and Jansen add great depth and competitiveness to the squad. Milne gives MI the opportunity to field an express pacer.

Overall, MI will be happy with their involvement in the IPL 2021 auction.

#2 Kolkata Knight Riders - 8/10

Bought Players: Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Pawan Negi

KKR pulled off arguably the steal of the auction with the purchase of Shakib, who has now been given an NOC by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Barring a top-quality Indian batsman, the team management achieved every objective they set out to.

Sunil Narine and Andre Russell now have adequate backups, while Harbhajan's signing adds a new dimension to the already strong spin attack. Having signed a few domestic stars as well, KKR had an excellent IPL 2021 auction.

#1 Delhi Capitals - 8/10

Bought Players: Steve Smith, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Umesh Yadav, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddharth

Another team who played their cards brilliantly in the IPL 2021 auction, DC walked away satisfied. Steve Smith was an absolute steal at his price, and the unfortunate injury to Iyer means that the Aussie might be one of the team's most important players.

Tom Curran will provide backup to Stoinis and Woakes, while Umesh Yadav - one of the few IPL-tested Indian pacers in the 2021 auction - was another smart purchase. DC also acquired a backup keeper in Billings, and were without doubt one of the most canny franchises in the IPL 2021 auction.

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