In the first part of this series, we saw how teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) proved to be smart in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions by strategising the right way in the earlier editions, including the mega auctions of 2008 and 2011.
In the second part of the series, let us see some of the best picks from the 2013 to 2017 editions.
IPL 2014 Mega Auction
KKR pick Robin Uthappa for INR 5 crore (Base INR 2 crore): In the 2014 edition, Uthappa became the first cricketer from the champion side to win the Orange Cap. He was earlier picked in the auction for INR 5 crore. Over the years, he remained a mainstay of KKR's batting alongside Gambhir.
KKR pick Andre Russell for INR 60 lakhs (Base INR 50 lakhs): It was a major surprise that Russell had not attracted big bids in the 2014 auction. At INR 60 lakhs, he was a steal. He was named the IPL MVP in 2015 and 2019. Retained a second time by KKR, he currently earns INR 12 crore per season and remains the most crucial player in their setup.
SRH pick Bhuvneshwar Kumar for INR 4.25 crore (Base INR 1.5 crore): Though Mohit Sharma won the Purple Cap in 2014, Bhuvneshwar was the best pacer in that edition, claiming 20 wickets at 17.7, going at 6.6 an over.
Over the next seven years, he remained a mainstay for Hyderabad, winning the Purple Cap in 2016, the season when they Orange Army won the IPL, and 2017. He remains the only player to feature in over 100 matches for SRH, and is their highest wicket-taker. Not retained by SRH in 2022, he will be among the top draws in the upcoming auction – though his fitness remains a concern.
SRH pick David Warner for INR 5.5 crore (Base 1.5 crore): Arguably the greatest opener in IPL history, Warner was, over the best part of the last decade, the force driving SRH, with runs and inspirational leadership. Until 2021, he used to be synonymous to SRH in the same way Dhoni was to CSK. Then the management lost faith in him.
Warner remains the only cricketer to have won the Orange Cap thrice, in 2015, 2017 and 2019. However, his highest season aggregate came in 2016, the season he led SRH to their only IPL title win. He finished with a ridiculous 848 runs, but Virat Kohli got 973. Barring these two, no one has breached the 800-run mark ever in IPL history.
The Player of the Tournament in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Warner is expected to earn big bucks in the upcoming auction and is also viewed as a leadership option.
Also Read: India’s 1000th ODIs: Previous milestones and statistical highlights
MI pick Jasprit Bumrah for INR 1.2 crore (Base INR 20 lakhs): Bumrah was scouted by John Wright for Mumbai Indians ahead of 2013 IPL. On his debut, a teenage Bumrah was hammered for three fours by Kohli before he trapped him leg before. He finished with three wickets, and must have impressed the MI management despite playing just two games.
MI won the 2013 edition, and picked Bumrah at six times his base price in the 2014 mega auction. Less than two years later, he was playing for India, and the world witnessed his meteoric rise as one of the finest in the game.
A pivotal figure in their last four title wins, Bumrah has been retained the second time by MI. He currently pockets INR 12 crore per season from the franchise.
KXIP (now PBKS) pick Axar Patel for INR 75 lakhs (Base INR 20 lakhs): One of the top bowlers in India, Axar was picked INR 75 lakhs by Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab). He went on to stay with the franchise for a good part of the decade.
RCB pick Yuzvendra Chahal for INR 10 lakhs (Base INR 10 lakhs): Picked at his base price by RCB. Chahal emerged as a force for them in the seasons to come. In the next four seasons, he picked 70 wickets and established himself as a mainstay in the star-studded team. His heroics for RCB earned him the India cap in 2016. He remains critical to the national team's fortunes in white-ball cricket.
IPL 2015 Auction
MI pick Hardik Pandya for INR 10 lakhs (Base INR 10 lakhs): MI picked Hardik, then 21, at his base price. It proved to be a masterstroke, as Hardik played a blinder against KKR and scored runs at a strike rate over 180 that season. His talent was so apparent that he was fast-tracked into international cricket. Soon, he became an essential part of the national side across formats.
MI won their second title in 2015 and three more in the next five years, with Hardik being an integral part of the win. After seven seasons, MI has finally released Hardik, who will lead the Ahmedabad franchise in 2022. His career has come a long way from pocketing INR 10 lakhs per annum in his first three seasons to the INR 15 crore per season now.
SRH pick Kane Williamson for INR 60 lakhs (Base INR 50 lakhs): By 2015, Williamson had made a reputation as a batter, but was yet to play in the IPL. SRH got him for only INR 60 lakhs, and he made sporadic appearances for them over the next three seasons, having an excellent season in 2017. He was not retained in 2018, but we will come to that in the next part.
IPL 2016 Auction
DD (now DC) pick Rishabh Pant for INR 1.9 crore (Base INR 10 lakhs): Pant's good shows in the Under-19 World Cup caught everyone's attention, and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) were quick to capitalise on a potential superstar from their catchment area.
After a promising start in 2016, he scored at a strike rate of 166 in 2017. Retained for a whopping INR 15 crore in 2018, he repaid the faith with an average of 53, striking at 174! Retained for the second time with a salary of INR 16 crore, Pant is now the captain of DC, having led the side to the Playoffs in 2021.
MI pick Krunal Pandya for INR 2 crore (Base INR 10 lakhs): A year after getting Hardik, MI picked his elder brother Krunal for 20 times his base price. Over the next six seasons, Krunal made crucial contributions with both bat and ball, featuring in three MI title triumphs. His most significant contribution was the Player-of-the-Match effort in the 2017 final, where he bailed out his team with the bat from a precarious situation.
MI pick Jos Buttler for INR 3.8 crore (Base INR 1.5 crore): Buttler's first experience of IPL came with MI. Though he did not have a productive 2016, he stole the show in 2017, when they won their third title. His stint with MI also proved to be defining for him as a player. He opened the innings in 2017, striking at 154. Later, even England started using him at the top with great effect.
IPL 2017 Auction
RPS pick Ben Stokes for INR 14.5 crore (Base INR 2 crore): After a heavy bidding war, Stokes became the most expensive overseas player in the league after the new franchise Rising Pune Supergiant picked him for a whopping INR 14.5 crore.
His all-round shows helped the new team reach the final. He scored runs at 31.6, striking at 143, and also picked 12 wickets at an economy of 72, excelling in the death overs.
RPS pick Jaydev Unadkat for INR 30 lakhs (Base INR 30 lakhs): A year before Unadkat made a habit of returning super-rich from IPL auctions, he was picked by RPS for his base price of INR 30 lakhs. It proved to be an excellent investment, as the lanky left-arm pacer returned with 24 wickets at 13.4, going at seven an over, acing the death overs.
RPS pick Manoj Tiwary for INR 50 lakhs (Base INR 50 lakhs): Once tipped to be the next big thing of Indian cricket, Tiwary's career did not take off as planned. In the later years, he struggled to find an IPL franchise. In 2017, RPS picked him for his base price of INR 50 lakhs. He emerged as a valuable finisher, with 324 runs, striking at over 137.
SRH pick Rashid Khan for INR 4 crore (Base INR 50 lakhs): Rashid, then 18, was already spinning webs around batters in international cricket. SRH picked for INR 4 crore, and the rest is history. Over the next five seasons, he claimed 93 wickets at an economy of 6.3. In 2022, he will turn up for the Ahmedabad side, and will earn INR 15 crore per season.