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Indian Premier League (IPL) organizers recently revealed that a total of 1,214 players have registered for the IPL 2022 mega auction. An official media release informed that the player registration process, which closed on January 20, saw 896 Indians and 318 overseas players sign up to be part of the IPL 2022 player auction.
The list featured 270 capped, 903 uncapped and 41 Associate players. The longlist will be cut down and a final one will be prepared by the IPL governing council once the franchises come up with their wishlists.
As many as 49 players have listed the maximum base price of ₹2 crore for the upcoming auction, which will take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. Furthermore, quite a few players have also registered their names in the ₹1.5 crore and ₹1 crore category.
IPL 2022 Auction: Indians with ₹1 crore base price unlikely to find any takers
A few Indian players who have listed their base price at ₹1 crore might go unsold due to age and form factors. We profile three such names.
#1 Piyush Chawla
The Indian leg-spinner is still only 33 but he seems well past his prime. Once touted as a special talent, Piyush Chawla failed to transform his potential into performances on the international stage. He last played for the country in 2012. However, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the IPL. Chawla is fourth on the list of bowlers with the most wickets in the IPL, having claimed 157 scalps in 165 matches.
Of late though, the experienced spinner’s performances in the T20 league have lacked bite. If we analyze his returns in the last three seasons, it points to a downward curve. Chawla claimed 10 wickets in 13 matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2019 at an average of 39.90. He was purchased by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the IPL 2020 auction and ended up claiming only six wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 9.09.
Rather surprisingly, after CSK released Chawla, the leggie was picked up by Mumbai Indians (MI) at the 2021 auction. The spinner, however, ended up featuring in only one match for the franchise and claimed a solitary wicket, going at 9.50. With a plethora of young spin options available, franchises are unlikely to look at Chawla.
#2 Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav was once a crucial cog in CSK’s outfit. He briefly performed the role of a finisher and was impressive with his unorthodox strokeplay. He performed a similar role for India for a slightly longer period, where he chipped in with his uncanny spin bowling as well. However, those days seem like distant memories.
His downfall began in 2019 when he managed only 164 runs in 14 games for CSK at a strike rate of 95.85. Jadhav had a torrid time in 2020 when he played eight matches and scored a mere 62 runs at a strike rate of 93.93. Shockingly, he did not hit a single six during the edition. His fragile fitness remained a concern and CSK ran out of patience, releasing him ahead of the IPL 2021 auction.
After going unsold initially, Jadhav was lucky to be purchased by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for his rather hefty base price of ₹2 crore. The franchise, however, had to regret the decision as the 36-year-old managed only 55 runs in six innings. It seems unlikely that Jadhav will be able to add to his 93 IPL caps.
#3 Wriddhiman Saha
At his peak, feisty wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha made vital contributions for his franchises, particularly with the bat. He scored a blazing 115* off 55 balls for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2014 final against KKR, albeit in a losing cause. He also hammered 93* off 55 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2017 edition. Interestingly, while the first knock came in the middle order, the second was as an opener.
Apart from being a floater in the batting order, Saha has proven skills behind the stumps. He remains agile even at 37 as evident from the Test series against New Zealand last year. However, his returns with the bat have not been as significant in recent years. He was purchased by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2018 but had a poor year, managing only 122 runs in 11 games.
He played only five games in 2019 but gave glimpses of resurrection in IPL 2020, when he clobbered 214 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 139.86. SRH were hoping for him to come up with the good again in 2021. But just like most others in the franchise, he flopped and ended the edition with 131 runs in nine games. Considering the number of explosive wicketkeeper-batters floating around on the T20 scene, franchises might be wary of going after Saha.
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