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NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction never ceases to throw surprises. Over the years, the IPL auction has seen many players fetch shockingly high prices, often exceeding expectations.
Sometimes some ‘out of favour’ players hit pay-dirt and sometimes well-known cricketers go unsold. Teams often pay premium prices for all-rounders and players with high potential, even if they are untested.
Players with strong international performances leading up to the auction tend to spark bidding wars, as apart from on-field abilities, franchises also factor in brand value and potential marketability when bidding.
Here’s a look at players who earned shocking high price tags in the two-day auction at Jeddah:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: He may have been out of national reckoning for more than two years, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s rich IPL experience ensured that he was the most expensive buy on the second day of the auction, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru buying him for Rs 10.75 crore.
The UP seamer, who will turn 35 before the start of the next IPL, has taken 181 wickets in 176 IPL matches, with a best haul of 5/19. His tally includes two five-wicket and two-four wicket haul each.
Having made his IPL debut in 2011 for the Pune Warriors, Bhuvneshwar switched to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 and played for them regularly for a decade, before he was released by the 2024 IPL finalists.
Overall, in T20 cricket, the veteran seamer, a reliable bowler in the Power play and death overs, has taken 300 wickets from 287 career T20 games and an economy rate of less than eight.
Deepak Chahar: India pacer Deepak Chahar last played an IPL match for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 1, 2024 before making an exit from the tournament owing to an injury.
In the 8 matches he played in the 2024 season, Chahar took 5 wickets at an economy of 8.59 before the injury struck.
Chahar has represented CSK since the start of his IPL career, but the five-time champions did not retain the seamer whose career has been hit by recurrent injuries.
On Monday, the injury-prone Chahar was bought by Mumbai Indians (MI) for Rs 9.25 crore.
Chahar can swing the white ball and make breakthroughs in the Powerplay overs
Tushar Deshpande: Tushar Deshpande is currently recuperating from an ankle operation and has an economy rate of close to 10 runs per over.
Deshpande was snapped by Rajasthan Royals at Rs 6.50 crore.
Known for his ability to bowl with good pace and hit the deck hard, Deshpande has been a dependable bowler in domestic cricket, especially in the limited-overs format.
After being picked by CSK in 2022, Deshpande became a key part of their bowling lineup. His performances in IPL 2023 were particularly notable as he was often trusted with bowling in the powerplay and death overs and played a significant role in CSK’s successful campaign.
Although expensive at times, Deshpande emerged as the highest wicket-taker for CSK in the season with 21 wickets, showcasing his knack for picking crucial breakthroughs.
Akash Deep: Akash Deep, India Test pacer, got a Rs 8 crore deal from Lucknow Super Giants.
Akash Deep’s ability to hit the deck and derive seam movement has impressed the Indian team management.
Akash Deep made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2019.Akash was soon included in the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the second phase of the 2021 IPL in the UAE.
Next year, Akash Deep replaced injured Shivam Mavi in India’s squad for the 2022 Asian Games.
Akash Deep can hit the deck hard and generate movement off the pitch. With the new ball, he can trouble batters by moving the ball both ways.
Akash Deep has worked on bowling yorkers and variations, though consistency is still a work in progress.
Jofra Archer: Rajasthan Royals snapped up England pacer Jofra Archer for Rs 12.50 crore.
Archer, who played his last IPL season in 2020, was added back to the shortlist three days before the auction.
Archer made his comeback this summer after a lengthy injury layoff, featuring in England’s white-ball series against Pakistan, Australia, and the West Indies, as well as the T20 World Cup.
In the 2022 mega auction, Mumbai Indians invested Rs 8 crore in Archer despite his elbow surgery, which ruled him out for the season. He returned to play five matches for MI in 2023, claiming two wickets before another elbow injury prematurely ended his campaign.
Archer’s last full IPL season was in 2020, where he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) after taking 20 wickets for Rajasthan Royals in the UAE edition. Across his IPL career, Archer has taken an impressive 48 wickets in 40 matches.
Archer entered the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were quick to make the first bid. Mumbai Indians (MI) soon joined the race, setting the stage for an intense bidding war.
The competition between MI and LSG saw the bid surge past Rs 6 crore, with LSG taking it up to Rs 6.25 crore. MI kept pushing, and the price soared beyond Rs 8 crore when Rajasthan Royals (RR) entered the fray at Rs 8.5 crore.
MI responded with Rs 8.75 crore, and the two franchises went head-to-head, driving the bid past Rs 10 crore. RR took the lead at Rs 11 crore, but MI came back at Rs 11.25 crore. As the bid escalated to Rs 12 crore, RR held strong. MI briefly countered with Rs 12.25 crore but ultimately bowed out.
Rajasthan Royals finally secured Archer for Rs 12.5 crore, marking a homecoming for the star pacer after five hours of intense auction action.
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