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Kishan To Fetch The Highest Bid? – IPL Auction 2022 Predictions

Ishan Kishan
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The much-anticipated 2022 IPL Auction gets underway on the 12th and 13th of February in Bengaluru, with over 590 players set to go under the hammer. A maximum of 217 players can be bought by the ten IPL teams and over 500 crores will be spent in 48 hours as plenty of dreams are about to turn into reality.

Predicting what will happen in the auction is usually considered a fool’s errand, but here is my attempt at charting out where the money will flow throughout the 2022 IPL auction.

Top Five Most Expensive Players:

1. Ishan Kishan

 

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Indian talent always comes at a premium at IPL auctions, and the most expensive player in 2022 will be wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan. Out of all the names present in the auction, Kishan has the highest ceiling and upside as a batter, considering his age and record in the IPL. Kishan has already proved that he is a winning player, helping the Mumbai Indians win back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020, and at age 23, the wicket-keeper can be the franchise player for an IPL team for the next decade.

2. Shreyas Iyer

 

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Although there are still plenty of question marks over Shreyas Iyer’s game in T20 cricket, at least 2-3 IPL teams will be willing to break the bank for the 27-year-old as they search for an Indian captain. PKBS, KKR and RCB are desperate for some leadership heading into the 2022 auction, and Iyer is the best option available, considering the batsman took the Delhi Capitals to their first final in 2020 as captain.

3. Kagiso Rabada

 

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Overseas fast bowlers have been the most expensive buys in each of the last two IPL auctions (Pat Cummins and Chris Morris), and Kagiso Rabada could add to that list in 2022. The South African pacer has been one of the most impactful bowlers in the IPL over the last few seasons, picking up 76 wickets in 50 matches for the Delhi Capitals and winning the purple cap in 2020.

4. David Warner

 

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David Warner has been the most consistent opener in the Indian Premier League over the last decade, and the three-time orange cap winner could attract plenty of bids in the upcoming auction. Warner is an attractive asset for nearly every IPL team barring Rajasthan, and the 2021 T20 World Cup man of the tournament is also a viable captaincy candidate, given that he led SRH to their maiden IPL title in 2016. 

5. Harshal Patel

 

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Considering Jaydev Unadkat was sold for 11.5 crores and 8.5 crores in the 2018 and 2019 auctions, Harshal Patel could fetch a similar price tag in 2022 after his purple cap season with RCB last year. Patel picked up an incredible 32 wickets in the 2021 IPL season at a strike rate of 14 and was equally impressive on his India debut, bagging four wickets in two matches against the T20 World Cup finalists New Zealand.

Most Expensive U-19 Player:

 

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In the previous mega IPL auction in 2018, U-19 stars Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Rahul Chahar were bought for less than two crores each after their World Cup victory in New Zealand. However, four years later, the next crop of Indian U-19 players could rake in even higher bids following their win in the West Indies. Yash Dhull, Vicky Otswal and Rajvardhan Hangargekar all showed immense promise throughout the U-19 World Cup, but the most expensive U-19 player will be all-rounder Raj Bawa, who scored 252 runs and picked up nine wickets in the tournament.

Most Notable Unsold Player:

 

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Aaron Finch attracted no bidders at the 2021 IPL auction, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if no teams went back for the Australian T20 captain this time around either. While Finch brings plenty of experience and leadership, the opener has always struggled to adapt his T20 game to Indian conditions, as indicated by an IPL strike rate of 127.

 

[Featured Image Credit: Ishan Kishan]

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