Nuances of the IPL 2016 Auction

As the first step towards the IPL 2016, the player Auction held in Bengaluru wasn’t short of thrill and action. Some moves were expected, some surprises and some steals were at the thick of things during the event that saw over 350 players go under the hammer. Here’s a review cum compilation of some of the selective buys in what was a critical step towards a successful IPL 2016.

The Big Scalps

Pawan Negi- 8.5 crores ( Delhi Daredevils)

The former CSK lad went to the Delhi Daredevils for a whopping 8.5 crores to the Delhi Daredevils. Negi, who’s is part of the Asia and ICC World T20 squads had a great IPL 2015 for the Chennai Super Kings, with both the bat and the ball. However his scintillating performances in the Syed Mustaq Ali trophy and his selection into the national side, has prompted his bid to one of the talking points of the IPL.

Shane Watson- 9.5 Crores ( Royal Challengers Bangalore)

The Australian stand-in T20 captain was already a hot-prospect and with the IPL almost resurrecting his career back in 2008, Watson has been a consistent performer in the premier T20 tournament. His 9.5 crore move to the RCB hasn’t been surprising at all, as they would Watson’s first franchise since that career turning 2008 season with the Rajastan Royals. RCB will be incredibly boosted by Watson’s arrival, making them probably the most feared batting line up in the tournament.

Chris Morris- 7 crores ( Delhi Daredevils)

The  talented South African seamer Morris went to the Delhi based franchise a millionaire. With a great international and T20 season behing him, the former CSK and RR fast- bowler will lend much needed balance to the Delhi Daredevils bowling line-up. His addition to the squad strengthens their death bowling ability, which has indeed been their big worry in the last few seasons.

The Steals, surprises and the Misses 

Colin Munro- 30 lakhs ( Kolkata Knight Riders)

This hard hitting New Zealand batsman going for not more than base price was appalling, given his breath-taking fifties against Sri-Lanka. Munro would definitely suit the Knight Riders combination as squad rotation player or a replacement for an overseas middle-order batsmen. His hard hitting abilities also could mean that the Knight Riders give him a finisher’s role come the IPL.

Mustafizur Rahman- 1.4 crores( Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The Bangladeshi speedster who made an instant impact at the International level, was picked by the Sunrisers to bolster their bowling attack. Given that few Bangladeshi players have played in the IPL so far, Rahman’s pick was a bit surprising but at the same time his talent expresses itself in his price tag.

Usman Khawaja, George Bailey- Unsold

Both George Bailey and Usman Khawaja were experiencing great bouts of form and their negligence was unexpected in the 2016 Auction. Bailey, who was the skipper of the Kings XI Punjab side was not retained and a bad 2015 season didn’t help his case. Khawaja on the other hand slammed two magnificent hundreds in the BBL. but went surprisingly unsold in the Auction.

Martin Guptill- Unsold

Probably the biggest miss of the Auction was Martin Guptill’s base price of 50 lakh was easily apt for an opening bid atleast but that never happened. Being in red-hot form throughout the year, at times might not get an individual an IPL contract after all, as performance in sub-continental conditions probably play a much bigger role.