Plenty of dreams turned into reality on the 12th and 13th of February, as over 550 crores were spent on 204 players in the 2022 IPL auction. While there were numerous high-profile stars such as Shreyas Iyer, Liam Livingstone and Ishan Kishan who earned massive pay-days, there were also many lesser-known players that fetched lucrative contracts at the auction.
All ten IPL teams do plenty of scouting each year to find some rough diamonds, and here is everything you need to know about the five unknown players who got big deals at the 2022 IPL auction.
1. Abhinav Manohar – Gujarat Titans (INR 2.6 Cr)
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The Gujarat Titans broke the bank on day one of the auction for Karnataka batsman Abhinav Manohar, spending INR 2.6 crore to acquire the services of the 27-year-old. Manohar is a middle-order batsman who starred for Karnataka in their run to the final of the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 162 runs in four games at a strike rate of 150, which included a match-winning unbeaten 70 off 49 in the pre-quarterfinals against Saurashtra.
2. Yash Dayal – Gujarat Titans (INR 3.2 Cr)
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Another uncapped player that the Gujarat Titans chased in the 2022 IPL auction was left-arm seamer, Yash Dayal. The Titans staved off competition from KKR and RCB to sign the 24-year-old for INR 3.2 crore on the second day of the auction, and the left-armer could form a frightening pace trio alongside Lockie Ferguson and Mohammed Shami. Dayal appeared on the radar of various IPL teams after his stunning performance in the recent edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he picked up 14 wickets in seven games at an economy of 3.77 for Uttar Pradesh.
3. N Tilak Varma – Mumbai Indians (INR 1.7 Cr)
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The Mumbai Indians are known for their incredible scouting network and youth development system, and one player who they were very bullish on in 2022 was Hyderabad batter, N Tilak Varma. The left-hander was part of the 2020 U-19 World Cup squad alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi and Kartik Tyagi and scored 215 runs in seven matches in the 2021 SMAT. The left-hander has an average of 29 at a strike rate of 143 in 15 T20 matches and could also provide the captain Rohit Sharma with some part-time off-spin as well.
4. Vaibhav Arora – Punjab Kings (INR 2 Cr)
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There was plenty of demand for Himachal Pradesh bowler Vaibhav Arora at the IPL auction, and the Punjab Kings won the bidding war for the 24-year-old with a bid of INR 2 crore. Vaibhav Arora was previously part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad in the IPL and recently made his T20 debut for Himachal Pradesh in the 2020-21 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The seamer has also had trials with the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals and has picked up 12 wickets in 12 T20 matches for Himachal Pradesh at an excellent economy rate of 6.96.
5. Prashant Solanki – Chennai Super Kings (INR 1.2 Cr)
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Chennai have formed a habit of signing more experienced players in recent seasons, but the reigning champions made an exception for 21-year-old Prashant Solanki, who they picked up for INR 1.2 crore at the 2022 auction. Despite playing only one T20 match in his career, the Mumbai leg-spinner has previously bowled in the nets for Chennai and has picked up 21 wickets in nine List A matches, including best figures of 5 for 48.
Shivaan Shah