IPL 2019 Auction: Best buys by each IPL team

The 2019 IPL auction is finally over after a drama-filled event at Jaipur. It was an intriguing evening as franchises fought hard to sign players for the 2019 campaign. A total of 351 players were shortlisted for the auction to fill the 70 available slots for the next IPL season.

Chennai Super Kings made the least number of signings in the auction as they have released only three players. Kings XI Punjab released a lot of players and therefore they had the biggest salary cap (Rs 36.20 Cr.) at the auction.

Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy were the most expensive buys on Tuesday. Three-time champions Mumbai Indians spent big on Barinder Sran while Kolkata Knight Riders went a long distance to sign Carlos Brathwaite. Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore made Shivan Dube their most expensive player at the 2019 auction. Chennai Super Kings settled with Mohit Sharma.

Without much ado, let's take a look at the best buys by each IPL team at the 2019 IPL auction.

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#8 Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel

Axar Patel is a great buy for Delhi

One of the consistent spinner in IPL over the years, Axar Patel was let go by Kings XI Punjab for IPL 2019. Axar Patel was bought by Delhi Capitals for INR 5 Crore at the 2019 IPL auction. Axar has picked up 61 wickets in 68 IPL games at an economy rate of 7.52. He has also scored 686 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 127. A valuable T20 player to have in the squad.

#7 Kings XI Punjab: Sam Curran

Sam Curran will make his IPL debut next season and he will play for Kings XI Punjab. The English teenager was bought by KXIP for INR 7.2 Crores at the 2019 IPL auction. There was an intense bidding war between the franchises for the 19-year-old and Kings XI Punjab made the winning bid. Curran was phenomenal for England with both the bat and ball in the Test series against India and Sri Lanka.

#6 Rajasthan Royals: Oshane Thomas

Jamaica Tallawahs v St Kitts and Nevis Patriots - 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Tournament

Though Rajasthan Royals paid a lot of money to sign Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Aaron, Oshane Thomas is easily their best buy in the auction. Thomas stole the limelight in the recently concluded limited-overs series against India. The 21-year-old is arguably one of the biggest finds of 2018 and possesses great pace to trouble some of the best in the world.

#5 Sunrisers Hyderabad: Wriddhiman Saha

The Indian wicket-keeper is one of the smart buys by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2019 IPL auction. They released him before the auction and bought him back at a cheaper price. Wriddhiman Saha has played 115 games in IPL and scored 1679 runs at a decent strike rate of 130. The 34-year-old is an experienced campaigner and could benefit Sunrisers Hyderabad next season.

#4 Kolkata Knight Riders: Carlos Brathwaite

Carlos Brathwaite will light up the Eden Gardens next season

Though Joe Denly is a good signing for Kolkata Knight Riders, Carlos Brathwaite is undoubtedly their best buy in the 2019 auction. He was their most expensive buy, who cost Rs. 5 crores. Carlos Brathwaite is one of the most destructive T20 players in the world at the moment and the prospect of him playing alongside Andre Russell is mouthwatering.

#3 Royal Challengers Bangalore: Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer created a lot of buzz before the IPL auction with some phenomenal performances in the 2018 Carribean Premier League. With 440 runs at a strike rate of almost 150, he was one of the stars of the tournament. Hetmyer was also exceptional for West Indies in the recently concluded ODI series against India with a couple of stunning knocks. A player to watch out for in IPL 2019.

#2 Chennai Super Kings: Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma returns to Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings retained most of the players in the squad and were left with INR 8.4 Crore at the 2019 auction. CSK were outbid by other franchises for Jaydev Unadkat and Mohammad Shami. They went all in for Mohit Sharma and bought him for INR 5 Crore. One of Dhoni's trusted bowlers, Mohit Sharma has played for the Chennai franchise before and was hugely successful.

#1 Mumbai Indians

It is almost impossible to name the best player bought by Mumbai Indians in the 2019 IPL auction. Mumbai Indians paid Rs 1 crore for Yuvraj Singh and also brought back Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga at his base price of Rs 2 crore. The other notable signing by Mumbai Indians was Barinder Sran. Anmolpreet Singh, Pankaj Jaiswal, and Rasikh Dar complete the Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2019.