3 players who went unsold in IPL 2022 Mega Auction but became match-winners for the teams who signed them later

The IPL 2022 Mega Auction happened earlier this year, where 10 franchises signed some of the biggest names in world cricket.

With the arrival of two new IPL teams, there were some major changes in the squads. The BCCI allowed the eight existing franchises to retain a maximum of four players each from their IPL 2021 teams.

The remaining players were back in the auction pool along with the free agents. The two new franchises got a chance to draft three players each before the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.

The big event took place in February, where fans saw some unexpected developments. A few lesser-known players earned massive contracts, while some proven match-winners initially remained unsold but later received deals from the IPL teams.

Not all of them could impress in IPL 2022, but the following three players have emerged as game-changers for their teams after initially going unsold in the mega auction.

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#1 David Miller went unsold in the first round of IPL 2022 Mega Auction

Not many fans will remember that David Miller remained unsold in the initial round of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. The South African star performed well for South Africa in white-ball cricket, but the franchises surprisingly showed no interest in his services initially.

The power hitter returned to the auction as part of a group of unsold players and started a bidding war between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Despite going unsold in the first round, Miller fetched a contract worth ₹3 crore at the mega auction.

He has justified his price tag by scoring 449 runs in 15 matches at an average of 64.14 for the Gujarat Titans. The southpaw has registered two half-centuries, while his strike rate has been 141.19 this season.

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#2 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav warmed the benches at the Delhi Capitals (DC) last year in the IPL. Since he does not play white-ball cricket for India regularly, not a single franchise bid for him at the mega auction.

Eventually, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) roped him in at his base price during the unsold players' round.

Yadav impressed straightaway as he won the Man of the Match award in the season opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He led the KKR pace attack well and finished with 16 wickets in 14 matches at a splendid economy rate of 7.06.

To see list of IPL winner, click here.

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#3 Wriddhiman Saha

Another veteran Indian player to feature on the list is Wriddhiman Saha. The wicketkeeper-batter has lost his place in the Indian team, which is why teams were reluctant to sign him initially at the IPL 2022 mega auction.

Another factor that worked against Saha was his age. However, the Gujarat Titans eventually showed faith in his skills and signed him for ₹1.90 crore at the mega auction.

After warming the benches for a few games, Saha made his debut for GT and scored heaps of runs for his franchise.

So far this season, Saha has scored 312 runs in 10 matches, registering three fifties. He won the Man of the Match award in the league stage game against CSK.