"80 lakh in 2018, 14 crore in 2022"- Twitter reacts as CSK break the bank for Deepak Chahar at IPL 2022 Auction

Deepak Chahar has earned the biggest contract of his IPL career at the ongoing mega auction. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) splurged out ₹14 crore to buy the right-arm pacer earlier today.

Not many fans may know that Chahar received his first IPL gig from the Rajasthan Royals back in 2011. At that time, the Royals signed him for ₹10 lakh. RR kept him in their squad for two seasons but released him without giving him a single match.

Chahar was away from the IPL for four years. He returned to the league in 2016 when the Rising Pune Supergiant signed him for ₹10 lakh. The pace bowler impressed in his brief stint with RPS, which earned him a ₹80 lakh deal from the Chennai Super Kings in 2018.

Deepak was a match-winner for CSK over the last four years. He played an integral role in their 2018 and 2021 championship wins. However, CSK could not retain him because of the mega auction rules.

The Chennai-based franchise went all out at the mega auction and signed Chahar for ₹14 crore. Here's how Twitter reacted to it:

Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad had an intense bidding war for Deepak Chahar

Deepak entered the IPL 2022 auction with a base price of ₹2 crore. Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad were the first two franchises to show interest in Chahar's services.

They took the price to ₹10.75 crore, and then, Chennai Super Kings joined the race with a ₹11 crore bid.

Deepak Chahar will continue representing the Chennai Super Kings

Delhi and Hyderabad quit when CSK bid ₹13 crore, but Rajasthan Royals entered the race and forced CSK to lift the price to ₹14 crore to re-sign Chahar.

It will be interesting to see how Chahar performs in IPL 2022.