IPL 2022 Auction: Ranking Rajasthan Royals' buys on Day 1

Rajasthan Royals (RR) were among the most active participants on Day 1 of the IPL 2022 Auction. They came in with a purse of ₹62 crore, three retained players and ended up using ₹49.85 crore for eight new signings, with two of them being overseas. They bagged two new batters, two all-rounders, and four bowlers.

Their signings ranged from ₹30 lakh to ₹10 crore. And while the 2008 IPL champions managed to build a strong team with some brilliant choices, they also made some debatable decisions.

Below, we rank their buys from best to worst with considerations to the pattern of the auction and the team's demands among others.

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#1 Yuzvendra Chahal at ₹6.5 crore was Rajasthan Royals' best buy on Day 1 of IPL 2022 Auction

Signing India's highest wicket-taking T20I spinner at just ₹6.5 crore, soon after he's made a roaring international captain is deserving of being counted as among the biggest steals of this auction. Yuzvendra Chahal brings the Rajasthan Royals an experience of 114 IPL games, 139 wickets and a brilliant average of 22.28.

RR let the Mumbai Indians battle it out with the Delhi Capitals and SunRisers Hyderabad in the early bids before jumping in with a couple of late bids to seal the deal with the leg-spinner. He'll lead their spin attack, taking wickets consistently in the powerplay while also adding some brand value.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin - ₹5 crore

Ravichandran Ashwin might not be a big T20 wicket-taker for the last few IPL seasons, but he will add immense value to the Rajasthan Royals. The seasoned off-spinner has 145 wickets in the IPL and can bowl at any stage in a T20 game.

He'll form the perfect pair with Chahal, making the Royals among the best spin-bowling sides in the league. The 35-year-old might also double up as a leader in the side and act as much-needed support to the young Sanju Samson. ₹5 crore for such a package ranks a brilliant second in the inaugural champions' signings.

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#3 Trent Boult - ₹8 crore

Overseas pacers don't come cheap in the IPL, at least not of Trent Boult's quality. The Kiwi left-arm speedster is a brilliant new-ball bowler, can swing it both ways and can be Sanju Samson's go-to man at the death. He averages a brilliant 21.60 with 62 wickets in 44 T20Is and 26.09 with 76 wickets in 62 IPL matches.

The fast-bowling department has been one of the shining lights in the Rajasthan Royals' rocky last few years in the IPL. Boult, along with Prasidh Krishna and others, is likely to continue that trend as the leader of the bowling attack. Rajasthan Royals would be more than happy to get him at ₹8 crore.

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#4 Devdutt Padikkal - ₹7.75 crore

With 411 runs from 11 games, Devdutt Padikkal was Royal Challengers Bangalore's second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2020. He also scored one of only four centuries last season - a brilliant 101 against, interestingly, the Rajasthan Royals.

The 21-year-old left-handed opener certainly has a big future in the sport and ₹7.75 crore seems a fair price for being a part of that for the next three years. The only issue that makes the price seem a bit expensive is that Rajasthan Royals already have two settled openers in Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler.

Putting Padikkal in the middle order might be a big gamble. But if he can settle into that role, the youngster will add some serenity to the lineup, bridging the aggression of the openers and skipper Samson, who might slot in at No.4.

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#5 Prasidh Krishna - ₹10 crore

Prasidh Krishna is inarguably among the top 10 pacers in India.

He hits the deck hard, can create moments of magic from lifeless pitches, and is a brilliant wicket-taker in the middle overs - all attributes he displayed in the recent ODI series against West Indies. However, while these qualities suit India's needs in the 50-over format, and perhaps also in Tests, he's still fairly untested in the T20s.

Prasidh has played 34 IPL matches with decent returns - 30 wickets at 38.40. The upcoming season will test his adaptability, variations, and overall skill to the hilt. There's a strong chance he'll prove to be a massive match-winner for his new franchise. But considering how other, more experienced fast-bowlers have fared in the auction, the Royals might feel they've paid a couple of crores too much for him.

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#6 KC Cariappa - ₹30 lakh

KC Cariappa is still among the rare "mystery spinners" in India. He's seen bidding wars and multi-crore bids in the auction - Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for ₹2.4 crore in 2015 - and has also gone unsold in the event (2019). He last featured in an IPL match in 2019 for KKR against SunRisers Hyderabad and went for 34 runs in two wicketless overs.

The uncapped 27-year-old cricketer has extensive domestic experience and can be a handy backup for Ashwin and Chahal, especially on slow turning tracks which bring the best out of him. He's coming off a good season too - 12 wickets in nine Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021-22 matches.

Whether or not this is a steal will depend on how many matches he plays, but at just ₹10 lakh above his base price, Cariappa is a good signing.

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#7 Shimron Hetmyer - ₹8.5 crore

West Indian middle-order batter Shimron Hetmyer bagged ₹7.75 crore in the 2020 IPL auction. At the time, he was a sure-shot in his national side and had made a big name for himself in an ODI series against India.

In 2022, the left-hander is struggling with both form and fitness issues, to an extent that he was ignored entirely for West Indies' ongoing tour of India. While he can be a brilliant finisher, something Rajasthan Royals have missed in the past, increasing his price when his potential has waned doesn't look like a smart choice.

An ₹8.5 crore signing might be the impetus he needs to stand true to his talent but at this stage, it isn't among the franchise's best signings of the IPL 2022 auction.

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#8 Riyan Parag - ₹3.8 crore

Unlike the above signings, Rajasthan Royals bringing Riyan Parag back to their fold for ₹3.8 crore seemed like a more emotional than pragmatic move.

The off-spin all-rounder had a forgettable season in 2021, collecting just 93 runs in 11 matches at an average of 11.63. Samson didn't seem to trust him much with the ball either and gave him just six overs throughout the season.

The Assam captain scored proficiently for his team in the last Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season but he played an entirely different role for the Rajasthan Royals. For Assam, he's a top-order rock and bats at No.4, allowing the rest of the team to play around him. At Royals, he's a 20-year-old donning the arduous role of a finisher.

He's likely to continue in that role with Buttler, Jaiswal, Padikkal and Samson likely to occupy the top-order spots. Were the Rajasthan Royals not seeing him as crucial to their brand, they could have used the money in signing some other potential youngsters, perhaps some U-19 stars who were more suited to their dynamic.