IPL 2020 Auction: The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction will see some of the biggest names across the globe go under the hammer during the two-day mega auction, which will take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
According to reports, a total of 370 Indian players and 220 overseas players will be up for grabs in the 15th season of the IPL.
Amongst 590 players who have registered for the auction, 228 are capped players, 355 are uncapped players and seven belong to Associate Nations.
There are 20 players on the auction list with a reserve price of Rs 1.5 crore, while 34 players are on the list of cricketers with a reserve price of Rs one crore.
Let us look at some players who could be valuable picks for various franchises:
Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami has taken 79 wickets in 77 IPL matches that he has played to date, averaging 30.40. He was picked by Punjab Kings at Rs 4.8 crores in the 2019 IPL auction and his base price has been set at Rs 2 crore for IPL 2022 Mega Auction.
With the ability to bowl in the death overs and deadly yorkers, Shami will be in high demand for the auctions this year.
Harshal Patel
The Purple Cap winner of last year’s edition, Harshal Patel will also be up for grabs this season as surprisingly he was not retained by the Royal Challengers’ Bangalore.
Patel currently holds the joint record for the most number of wickets in a single season. His variation of yorkers, slower balls and cutters make him an extremely useful player in the T20 formats.
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh has been a star performer in the Indian domestic circuit for the last few years and played an integral role in helping Tamil Nadu win the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in both 2020/21 and 2021/22.
In the last year’s auctions, he was snatched by Punjab for Rs 5.25 crore and this uncapped player could see a similar trend this year.
Kuldeep Yadav
Once a first choice-spinner in India’s white-ball format, Kuldeep Yadav, today, is no way near in India’s scheme of things in international cricket.
Yadav holds a Test bowling average under 24, an ODI bowling average of 28 - including two hat-tricks - and an incredible 14 wickets in T20Is. He could be a utility pick in this year’s IPL.
Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan was released by Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL mega auction this year and is among the top Indian players to watch out for. The left-hand batter, who could also keep wickets, is known for his destructive batting style. Moreover, he is also flexible with batting positions. His ability to bat at the top of the order or in the middle makes him all the more valuable.
Mumbai Indians bought Kishan for Rs 6.2 crore in the 2018 auction. In the four seasons with the franchise, he has amassed 1133 runs from 45 IPL matches.