3 players bought at the IPL 2018 auction who turned out to be steals

The IPL player auction was held in Bangalore on January 27 and 28 this year. All the teams rebuilt themselves from scratch and spent a lot of money on the players.

The auction marked a few record-breaking signings and a few players leaving their sides after playing for seven or eight years. It also saw several new players signing contracts with teams.

After the end of the 2018 season, a few teams were criticized for their choice of players in the auction. Their erratic spending of money on players who eventually ended up underperforming was considered one of the biggest factors in their collective failure.

But there were another set of players who were excellent worth for their money, and ended up being absolute steals for the teams which bought them.

Here are three of those players:

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#3 Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals)

Innings: 13; Runs: 548; Strike Rate: 155.56; Average:54.80

Jos Buttler was signed by the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 player Auction for INR 4.4 crore. He was supposed to be their finisher and wicket-keeper, slotting in at number 5 or number 6.

Batting at those positions, Buttler didn't get enough time to settle in and go big. He was able to manage only 120 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 126 and an average of 20.

Jos Buttler

Buttler got a chance to open the batting in a rain-shortened match against the Delhi Daredevils when the team was chasing 150 from 14 overs. He scored 67 runs off 40 balls as the team fell short by 4 runs.

Buttler opened the batting from then on and had a splendid time, racking up 428 runs in 6 innings while averaging 107 and striking at a rate of 165.89. But he had to leave for England before the playoffs, and his departure may have been one of the reasons for his team's loss in the Eliminator.

With openers D'Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane not playing well, Buttler's destructive abilities at the top of the order brought the Rajasthan Royals in contention for the playoffs. Although they were languishing close to the bottom early on, they staged a surprise comeback to book a spot in the playoffs ahead of Mumbai Indians, largely due to Buttler's efforts.

Many were surprised to see him getting sold for just INR 4.4 crore, and RR will be happy in their investment on the Englishman.

#2 Ambati Rayudu (Chennai Super Kings)

Innings: 16; Runs: 602; Strike Rate: 149.50; Average: 43

Ambati Rayudu was signed by the Chennai Super Kings for INR 2.2 crore after his poor season in IPL 2017 with the Mumbai Indians. But he finished as the third highest run-getter in IPL 2018, scoring 602 runs in the tournament.

There was a conundrum over CSK's opening combination early on but Rayudu solved all the problems as he forged a destructive partnership with Shane Watson.

Ambati Rayudu

He opened the innings 10 times last season and scored 396 runs at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 148. He smashed one century and gave many quick starts to the team.

Rayudu's exploits in the IPL earned him a place in the Indian ODI team and he has now slotted in at the number 4 position, seemingly solving India's middle order conundrum. Even in the IPL, he was able to play at number 4 when Faf du Plessis opened the batting with Watson; Rayudu scored 157 runs in 5 innings batting at number 4, at a strike rate of 160 and average of 40.

He was a key part of CSK's successful campaign last season and answered his critics with a show of attacking but classy batting. He illustrated that he wasn't a slow player unfit for the shorter format, and impressed one and all with his batting.

Rayudu was certainly a steal for the Super Kings at just INR 2.2 crore considering how good his performances were.

#1 Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Innings: 17; Runs: 735; Strike Rate: 142.44; Average: 52.50

Kane Williamson was bought back by the Sunrisers Hyderabd in the 2018 Player Auction for INR 3 crore.

Back then, he was considered a 50-over and Test match specialist who wasn't suitable for T20 cricket. But he answered the naysayers with some tremendous batting performances without ever playing rash shots or bludgeoning the ball.

Kane Williamson

After David Warner was banned following his involvement in a ball-tampering incident, Williamson was made the captain of the side. He was extremely consistent and scored eight 50s in the tournament, ending as the leading run scorer.

Williamson was often a lone warrior for the team, and on occasion was supported by Shikhar Dhawan. He anchored the team's weak middle order while supplying runs at the top of the innings.

He was great value and was most certainly one of the best players of the tournament. He impressed not only with his batting but also with his fielding and his captaincy. He was excellent with his tactics and added tremendous experience to the side and made some astute decisions.

Though it'll be interesting to see where he will play when Warner returns, Williamson remains the biggest steal of IPL 2018.