PKL Auction 2018: 5 IPL cricketers who turned out cheaper than Monu Goyat

Monu Goyat, became the latest internet sensation for his latest record of claiming the highest ever contract as part of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League, after his services were procured by the Haryana Steelers for a mind-boggling ₹151 lakh rupees.

He has also emerged as the talk of the town, even surpassing the likes of Nitin Tomar, Rahul Chaudhari to rise as the league's costliest player.

While Monu was expected to go for a high price given his exploits in the previous season, the icing on the cake was that his value went even higher than that of PKL's poster boy Rahul Chaudhari on a day that saw six players cross the ₹100 lakh margin while Manjeet Chhillar had to settle with base price and Ravinder Pahal went unsold.

Although the Pro Kabaddi League auction did not match the tension that is portrayed during the Indian Premier League auctions, the scene was almost similar with teams carefully chalking out their strategies while paralleling plotting the other franchises' downfall.

However, the spotlight belonged to Monu Goyat, who is now the highest paid non-cricket Indian athlete and is set to earn more than Sunil Chhetri, who signed a ₹150 lakh worth contract with Bengaluru FC in 2016.

Such was the magnitude of Haryana's purchase that it even eclipsed some contracts earned by cricketers in the 2018 IPL auctions. Here are 5 cricketers who were bought cheaper than Monu Goyat.

#5 Stuart Binny - ₹50 lakh

The Karnataka-based all-rounder, who has also represented India, played for the Royals from 2011-15 before moving to the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he found a spot in the team but was not very consistent.

In the 2018 auction, he was not picked in the initial round but was picked in the accelerated process for a sum of ₹50 lakh by the Rajasthan Royals, and joined his statesmen Krishnappa Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal in the Royals' setup.

Unable to cement his place in the team initially, Binny was only a constant part of the Royals' team in the latter half of the tournament, but could not contribute much, scoring only 44 runs from 5 matches at a strike rate of 112.82 apart and did not pick a single wicket right through the tournament.

#4 Prithvi Shaw - ₹1.2 Cr

One of the bright sparks in an otherwise dismal campaign for the Delhi Daredevils was the fearless approach to batting from the teenage sensation Prithvi Shaw, who was coming into the IPL after leading India U19 to a title victory in the 2018 U-19 World Cup.

In the presence of some big names such as Gautam Gambhir, Jason Roy and Colin Munro in the Delhi setup, Shaw could not find a place in the lineup, but a drop in form for Gautam Gambhir gave the youngster a chance to prove himself.

He then made his debut against the Kings XI Punjab, scoring a 10-ball 22 to get Delhi off to a positive start.

A string of good starts helped Shaw retain his place in the side that earned him a lot of praise, as he capped off his maiden IPL season as the third-best batsman for Delhi with 245 runs from 9 matches at an excellent strike rate of 153.12 and two fifties to go with that.

#3 Mandeep Singh - ₹1.4 Crore

Mandeep Singh formed an integral part of the RCB middle order

Gifted with a unique ability to find the gaps at ease and accelerate when required, Mandeep Singh transpired to be the perfect middle order batsmen for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who could also depend on the Punjab-born batsman to don the finisher's role when required.

From 13 matches, Mandeep amassed a total of 252 runs at a strike rate of 135.48 and finished as the third-best batsman for the Royal Challengers.

In an all-important clash against the Rajasthan Royals, Mandeep stroked a 25-ball 47, laced with six fours and one six that took RCB to a commendable total, which kept him in good stead throughout the rest of the season.

#2 Deepak Chahar - ₹80 lakhs

Deepak Chahar celebrates the fall of a wicket

Gifted with the ability to swing the new ball both ways at some lively place, Deepak Chahar was instrumental in CSK's title victory, as the pacer's accuracy and discipline managed to unsettle the best of batsmen throughout the competition.

With 10 wickets from 12 matches, Chahar finished with an economy of just 7.28 and his 3-wicket outburst against the Sunrisers Hyderabad from four overs was an imperative part of Chennai's road to the finals.

An able hitter of the long ball, Chahar's promotion during the final league stage game against Kings XI Punjab where he smacked a 20-ball 39 with one four and three sixes also earned him the tag of a 'probable all-rounder' in the CSK setup.

#1 Lungi Ngidi - ₹50 lakhs

Lungi Ngidi's skillful bowling was one of the success stories in CSK's title triumph

For a pacer who managed to pick 11 wickets from just seven matches at an economy of just 6 runs per over and a strike rate of 14.18, 50 lakh rupees seems a paltry amount.

However, for Lungi Ngidi, money was not the concern as he managed to torment the best of batters with fiery pace and serious bounce off the surface.

Having warmed the benches for a couple of weeks, Ngidi made his debut for CSK against Delhi Daredevils at the back of an injury to Deepak Chahar and impressed immediately, giving away only 26 runs off his four overs and also picking up the priced wicket of Rishabh Pant.

Following a continuous run of good form, Ngidi was thrown the new ball against the Kings XI Punjab in the final league stage match.

The South African removed Chris Gayle and KL Rahul in successive overs after which he added two more wickets to finish with 4/10, off his four overs and win the man of the match award for his good show.

Will Monu Goyat be able to justify his price tag this season? Sound off in the comments!