IPL 2022 Auction: Predicting the top 5 buys

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction is all set to take place in Bengaluru over two days on February 12 and 13. As many as 590 players, some of them being the biggest names in the game, will go under the hammer. There will be 10 franchises bidding for the players with the addition of Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans to the eight existing teams.

Announcing the IPL auction 2022 player list earlier this month, tournament organizers revealed that 228 capped players, 355 uncapped cricketers and seven from the Associate Nations will be up for grabs. Of the list, 370 players are from India, while 220 are overseas cricketers.

48 players have registered their names in the highest price bracket of ₹2 crore. Furthermore, 20 cricketers have a base price of ₹1.5 crore while 34 players have listed a reserve price of ₹1 crore.

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IPL 2022 Auction: Will these players be the most expensive purchases?

Ahead of the mega auction in Bengaluru, we predict five players who could be the most expensive buys.

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#5 Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan during the T20 series against New Zealand. Pic: Getty Images

Dashing young batter Ishan Kishan (base price ₹2 crore) has already shown the cricketing world what he is capable of. Only 23, he has the experience of 61 IPL matches in which he has smashed 1452 runs at a strike rate of 136.33. The left-hander was the top run-getter for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2020 season. He smacked 516 runs at an average of 57.33 and a strike rate of 145.76.

Kishan has since gone on to play for India as well. He notched up half-centuries on both his T20I and ODI debuts. The young batter has the ability to score at a swift pace and is known as a fearless striker. Although he has only played four IPL seasons, he has managed to make a significant impact.

The left-hander had a poor season last year for MI barring the last couple of matches where he went berserk. There were reports that Kishan could be retained by MI. However, the franchise eventually picked Suryakumar Yadav over him. The advantage with having Kishan is that he can bat at the top as well as in the middle order. Plus, he can keep wickets as well.

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#4 Shardul Thakur

Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur. Pic: Getty Images

Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur (base price ₹2 crore) has grown in stature in international cricket over the last year or so. He has developed a knack for picking up wickets at crucial points in a match and is capable of contributing significantly with the bat as well. We witnessed his ability both in Australia and England.

The 30-year-old was one of the key figures in Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) IPL 2021 triumph. He picked up 21 wickets in 16 games at an average of 25.09 and a strike rate of 17.09. Thakur claimed 3 for 38 in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Dubai. It was his spell that turned the final on its head after KKR had raced to 91 in the 11th over.

Thakur may not look like a threat with the ball. But he is a smart customer who knows how to make a game-changing impact. And every time he walks out to bat, he shows intent. He has an X-factor and is the kind of player every franchise would like to have in their midst.

#3 Jason Holder

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder. Pic: Getty Images

Seasoned West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder (base price ₹1.5 crore) has been in fantastic form of late in T20 cricket, especially with the ball. He was the standout performer in the team’s 3-2 triumph at home against England. The 30-year-old picked up 15 wickets at a strike rate of 7.4 and an economy rate of 7.78. He registered excellent figures of 4 for 7 in the opening game and claimed 5 for 27 in the decider. Holder claimed four wickets in four balls in the final T20I to bowl West Indies to victory.

He carried on his good form into the ODI series in India, scoring a fighting half-century in a losing cause in the first match in Ahmedabad. Holder has the ability to win games with both the bat and ball. He has some amazing variations and his slower deliveries are well-disguised. Even with the willow, he can strike the ball as cleanly as anyone in the business.

Holder has proved his prowess in the IPL as well in the limited opportunities that he has had. The tall pacer has claimed 35 wickets in 26 matches at an average of 22.45. On the batting front, he has scored 189 runs at a strike rate of 121.15. There are plenty of reasons for him to be in demand at the auction.

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#2 Wanindu Hasaranga

Wanindu Hasaranga during the T20 World Cup. Pic: Getty Images

Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga (base price ₹1 crore) is among the biggest match-winners on the T20 circuit at present. The 24-year-old leg-break bowler has amazing variations with the ball to unsettle the best of batters. He has the ability to play game-changing knocks with the willow as well.

He was the leading wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2021, claiming 16 wickets in eight matches at an average of under 10. This included a hat-trick against South Africa in a losing cause. Hasaranga also contributed 119 runs with the bat at a strike rate of 148.75. He came up with decent performances in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) as well.

The versatile Sri Lankan cricketer’s skills are perfectly suited to the T20 format. His record in the format speaks for itself - 110 wickets in 83 games at a strike rate of 14.8 and an economy rate of 6.39. He also has 979 runs at a strike rate of 136.92. It will be a surprise if he is not among the top buys at the IPL 2022 mega auction.

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#1 Shikhar Dhawan

Team India opener Shikhar Dhawan. Pic: Getty Images

He may be 36 but Shikhar Dhawan (base price ₹2 crore) only seems to be getting better with age. It wasn't until a few years back that his strike rate was questioned. This was also one of the prime reasons he lost his place in the Indian T20 squad. However, he has worked really hard on his T20 skills. In the last two IPL seasons, Dhawan has been a completely different player.

During the 2020 season, he hammered 618 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 144.73 and an average of 44.14. He also became the first batter to smash consecutive hundreds in the IPL. In the last edition as well, the southpaw scored close to 600 runs in 16 matches although his form tapered away in the UAE leg.

Dhawan has the experience of playing 192 IPL matches in which he has amassed 5784 runs at an average of 34.84 and a strike rate of 126.64. Apart from two hundreds, he has also struck 44 fifties. Being an opener, he will have a big role to play. Considering his prolific form, he should be in huge demand at the auction.