Top 5 steals of the IPL 2022 Auction

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction kicked off in Bengaluru on 12th February. A total of 74 players were sold on day one, out of which 20 were foreign players. Ishan Kishan was the highest earner of the day as he returned to the Mumbai Indians for a whopping ₹15.25 crore.

Shreyas Iyer was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹12.25 crore, while Deepak Chahar returned to Chennai Super Kings for ₹14 crore. Shardul Thakur and Harshal Patel (₹10.75 crore) were some of the other prominent Indian players sold at the auction on the first day.

In terms of overseas players, Wanindu Hasaranga led the line after being wrapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹10.75 crore. David Warner (₹6.25 crore) and Mitchell Marsh (₹6.50 crore) are heading to Delhi, while their fellow Australian Pat Cummins is heading back to KKR for ₹7.25 crore.

While all eyes are usually on the players that fetch the highest amount of money, we take a look at some of the cut-price steals at the IPL Auction.

Top 5 steals of the IPL Auction 2022

#5 Jason Roy

The England opener is a proper intent merchant at the top of the order. Jason Roy can be a joy to watch in full flow. Having proven himself in whiteball formats for his national side, Roy's now keen to make his mark in domestic leagues around the world.

The South African-born England batter was picked up by the new franchise Gujarat Titans at the base price of ₹2 crore at the IPL Auction. It was a tad surprising to see no other bidders for the 31-year old, who has been at the top of his game recently.

Leg-spin was identified as a glaring weakness in Roy's game but he's vastly improved against the tweakers since then. He recently smashed a blistering 116 off 57 balls in the Pakistan Super League. Jason Roy is a bonafide match-winner on his day. The Gujarat Titans now have him as a top-order option alongside Shubman Gill, at a significantly low amount.

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#4 David Warner

Well, at ₹6.25 crore, some might not consider David Warner to be a steal. To put it into context though, this is an excellent deal for the Delhi Capitals. The Australian is back to where it all started for him - in the capital city.

After his fallout with the SRH camp, Warner returned to his scintillating best in the T20 World Cup last year. The 35-year old won the player of the tournament as he ended up as the second-highest run-scorer, helping Australia win their maiden T20 title.

Simply said, David Warner is money! Bagging the services of the highest international run-scorer in the IPL at that price is a bit of a bargain. His opening stand with Prithvi Shaw also promises some fireworks.

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#3 Mustafizur Rahman

Mustafizur Rahman aka The Fizz will be playing for the Delhi Capitals next season.

The Delhi Capitals snapped up Mustafizur Rahman at his base price of ₹2 crore. The Bangladesh seamer has plenty of IPL experience in his locker, having played for Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals

The Fizz will now take his talents to the capital city, presumably partnering up with Anrich Nortje. With 38 wickets in 38 IPL matches and an economy rate of under 8, Rahman made his name in the marquee league with his impressive performances at the death.

Players of his caliber and experience simply don't come around at such a price. Come game day, Mustafizur Rahman could be making the difference for the Capitals.

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#2 Yuzvendra Chahal

Coming into the auction, all eyes were on India's premium spin-option, Yuzvendra Chahal. The scrawny leg-spinner was let go by the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the auction.

While RCB came to auction looking to re-sign their Chinnaswamy King, the tweaker was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals for ₹6.5 crore. A fairly moderate price for India's best leg-spinner right now.

With 139 wickets in 114 matches, Yuzi Chahal is the leg-spinner most sides would have targeted at auction. While the amount the Royals ended up paying for him is pretty significant in general terms, there was a certain anticipation that the Indian leg-spinner, who is back to his best, will attract bigger bids.

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#1 Quinton de Kock

The South African wicket-keeper batter has been a bit of an IPL team-trotter. Having already played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Mumbai Indians previously, Quinton de Kock is now set to join his fifth IPL franchise.

The 29-year old Proteas batter was snapped up by the Lucknow Super Giants for just ₹6.75 crore. Having recently retired from Test cricket, his availability at the top of the order won't be a cause of concern for Lucknow.

With 2256 runs at an average of over 31 a strike rate north of 130 in the IPL, QdK defines consistency at the top of the order. His opening partnership alongside his new franchise captain, KL Rahul, should be a mouth-watering prospect for the side.