3 Australians who won't go for a big price in IPL 2022 auction

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 Mega Auction is nearly upon us. It is expected to be the biggest auction in the history of the tournament.

According to reports, the IPL 2022 auction is set to be held over two days for the first time ever.

Eight existing franchises announced their retentions last month. 27 players were retained, and the rest of players will be a part of the auction pool. However, the two new teams will get three picks each from the pool of players before the auction.

Australian players have always been in high demand at IPL auctions. This year is expected to be no different, especially with Australia having won the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Players like Pat Cummins (INR 15.5 crores) and Glenn Maxwell (14.25 crore) have fetched some huge bids in the past.

The latter has been retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) this season. But the former will be in the auction, as will David Warner, who was released by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) after seven years with the franchise.

However, some Australian players who fetched big bids in previous seasons may not go for as much this time, having flattered to deceive.

Cummins himself was a record buy when he went to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2020. But his bowling stats have left something to be desired, and he may not spark a bidding war as big as his last time in the auction.

There will be similar cases for other players as well.

Here are three Australian players who are unlikely to get big bids in the IPL 2022 auction

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#1 Riley Meredith

Riley Meredith has impressed in the BBL, but failed in his first IPL season.

Riley Meredith was picked up by Punjab Kings for INR 8 crore at the IPL 2021 auction after a bidding war with Delhi Capitals.

However, he proved to be rather expensive even on the pitch, bowling with an economy of 9.94 in the IPL in the five matches he played.

He only picked up four wickets in five games and failed to live up to his price tag.

Meredith's blistering pace means he will still be wanted by teams, but is unlikely to reach the price he fetched at the last auction.

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#2 Matthew Wade

Matthew Wade has been a key player for Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL.

Matthew Wade played only three matches in the IPL 2011 during his stint with Delhi Capitals (DC), then known as Delhi Daredevils. Since then, he has become a formidable batter in the shortest format.

He has been in great form in the Big Bash League (BBL), playing some big knocks for Hobart Hurricanes.

He has scored 1961 runs in 68 innings in the BBL, with a high score of 130*. He also has an impressive strike rate of 144.72.

He also played a match-winning knock in the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final against Pakistan. It will be remembered mostly for his three consecutive sixes against Shaheen Shah Afridi to finish off the match.

Wade plays mainly as an opener but can also bat in the middle-order, making him a valuable asset.

However, his absence from the IPL and the presence of plenty of openers in the market means that he is unlikely to go for a very high price. He is something of an unknown quantity in the conditions.

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#1 Jhye Richardson

Jhye Richardson was bought for Rs 14 crore by Punjab Kings but made only three appearances.

Jhye Richardson is another Australian pacer bought for a bumper price of INR 14 crore by Punjab Kings ahead of IPL 2021. But, like Riley Meredith, he could not quite set the stage alight.

The 25-year-old played just three matches, taking three wickets, but he gave away 117 runs in 11 overs.

His economy rate of 10.63 means PBKS would feel they overpaid when they won the bidding war for him at Rs 14 crore.

Richardson recently bagged his maiden Test five-wicket haul in the Day-Night match in the Ashes. He will still be a valued player in the auction, but is unlikely to go for an astronomical flight like his last auction.