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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had a busy time on Day 1 of the IPL 2022 Auction. They managed to acquire three critical members of their previous roster in Pat Cummins, Nitish Rana and Shivam Mavi.
Sheldon Jackson returns to their fold as well but the biggest buy of the day for KKR was undoubtedly Shreyas Iyer. Shelling out INR 12.25 crore for the Indian middle-order batter, KKR went all out in his pursuit.
What was perplexing though was the extent to which they were ready to loosen their purse strings. With a balance of INR 20.5 crore and just 7 players in their ranks at one stage, the Knights nearly splurged half their funds on Nicholas Pooran.
While Pooran eventually joined Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was a moment that raised many an eyebrow and left jaws dropping among the viewers alright!
Ranking KKR's buys so far at the IPL 2022 Auction
Let's take a look at how they stand, by ranking their buys (out of 10) on Day 1 of the IPL 2022 Auction.
#1 Pat Cummins (INR 7.25 crore) - 6/10
He may not have created a windfall like he did prior to the 2020 auction, but there was intense bidding for Pat Cummins at the IPL 2022 Auction. The Australian Test captain returns to KKR and is set to spearhead their bowling unit.
Cummins is a bank in the Powerplay and also lengthens the team's batting lineup, being capable of batting as high as number 7. That said, KKR might have to look for another death-overs bowler with Cummins not quite the best option on that front.
Another factor to consider will be the possible fatigue that Cummins could enter the season with. A landmark tour of Pakistan beckons and with Cummins set to captain Australia in the Test series, there is a chance he could come into the season with a bit of wear and tear.
All in all, Cummins offers value to the side though, which is why he remains a decent pick for KKR. There's the sense of familiarity with the franchise as well that works in Cummins' favor, remember!
#2 Shreyas Iyer (INR 12.25 crore) - 7.5/10
That Shreyas Iyer was going for plenty at the IPL 2022 Auction was expected. That KKR would bid for him too was expected - we'd spoken about it in depth, earlier.
As a trade-off with Shubman Gill joining Gujarat Titans, KKR have managed to get the fulcrum of their batting lineup with Iyer. More importantly, they have someone with reasonable captaincy experience in the league and is one who could don the role for years to come at this franchise.
Iyer may not run away with the game by any means but is pretty much the man that the Knight Riders needed to build their side around. This could just turn out to be that one-time investment similar to how the two-time champions snapped up Gautam Gambhir back in 2011.
The Knight Riders would be pleased with the acquisition of Shreyas Iyer at the IPL 2022 Auction. The bid amount certainly ate into their purse alright but given he was the man they needed, it worked out well for them.
#3 Nitish Rana (INR 8 crore) - 5/10
Another player who KKR re-acquired at the IPL 2022 Auction is Nitish Rana. As a player, there is no doubt that Rana comes as a real deal, given his ability to smother spin. Rana is also quite flexible as far as his position in the batting order is concerned.
That said, KKR were crippled for funds at the end of this purchase and whether they took the right call or not with the bid amount is something conjecture will ponder over.
The Knights were keen on getting a good part of their core back and Rana has been pivotal in that regard. Given that they have loads of other areas to stack up on though come Day 2 of the IPL 2022 Auction, this was a rather touch and go purchase.
#4 Shivam Mavi (INR 7.25 crore) - 5/10
There was a long period of bidding for Shivam Mavi, a player who the Kolkata franchise was itching to get back into their fold. Mavi had an excellent 2021 season but, as has been the case with most of the Knight Riders' buys, the price shelled out comes under scrutiny.
Mavi's performances have only gotten better with time and is definitely one for the long haul. Yet, INR 7.25 crore shelled out on him took a huge chunk out of the Knight Riders' already bleak purse.
He will walk into the first XI but fitness is another area of concern with Mavi prone to injury. From a personal point of view, the fact that he can rub shoulders with Bharat Arun who is the bowling coach is as good as it gets for him.
Once again, the signing comes as a 5/10 one owing to how much more the franchise has left themselves to do on the second day. More so, with just INR 12.65 crore at their disposal and at least 9 more players to procure on the second day of the IPL 2022 Auction.
How Mavi copes with the pressure of the price tag will be another factor that only time has an answer to.
#5 Sheldon Jackson (INR 60 lakh) - 6.5/10
Apart from Chennai Super Kings, if there was one team that evidently look to reassemble their old guard, it was the Knight Riders. Sheldon Jackson returns to the franchise as well and at a solid deal of INR 60 lakh as well for a serial run-getter in domestic cricket.
For a backup wicket-keeping option, that's surely a worthy pick alright. And we say backup because it doesn't really look as though he walks into the first XI.
The big question, therefore, is who will KKR pick up as their frontline wicket-keeper on the second day of the IPL 2022 Auction?
That said, Jackson's acquisition is a decent one in isolation and for all you know, maybe this is the year he gets his long-deserved run in the side.
