Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshal Patel all went for massive amounts of money on an entertaining day one of the event.
Many teams in the auction focussed on building a top-quality Indian core, and it came as no surprise that the fast bowlers took away large amounts of money, especially considering the limited number of top-tier picks.
The likes of Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, and Harshal Patel were given a top dollar, while some surprising picks such as Shivam Mavi also hit the jackpot, attracting huge offers from the franchises.
2021 IPL purple cap-holder Harshal Patel was one of the most sought-after pacers in the auction today, with several teams going after the Royal Challengers Bangalore man, considering his new-found form, which came as a revelation in the previous season after he was traded by the Delhi Capitals to RCB.
The Royal Challengers went after their man, eventually outbidding all the other franchises to secure his services at a whopping Rs. 10.75 crore.
Experienced Indian pacer Mohammed Shami also bagged a huge price early on in the auction, coming in in the marquee set by the Gujarat Titans for Rs. 6.25 crore.
There was a huge bidding war for Deepak Chahar, who was expected to be one of the bigger buys at this year’s auction, which is not surprising considering his batting ability that accompanies his bowling prowess.
Chahar was a top target for his former franchise Chennai Super Kings, who went to great lengths to secure his services, sealing the deal at a massive Rs. 14 crore, making him the second-highest sale in the auction so far.
Shardul Thakur was also a huge attraction, with the former Yellow Army player being courted by many franchises. He racked up a huge bill for his eventual employers DC, who finalised the purchase at Rs. 10.75 crore, much to the appreciation of the house.
Karnataka pacer Prasidh Krishna was one of the top targets heading into the auction for any side that needed a fast bowler. Krishna lived up to the expectations, as he cost a sky-high Rs. 10 crore, heading to the Rajasthan Royals, who have so far assembled a spectacular bowling unit.
Avesh Khan, who also had a stellar season in the IPL last time around, got the big bucks, drawing unwavering interest from a host of franchises. The Lucknow Super Giants eventually bagged the former DC man for an astronomical Rs. 10 crore.
There were also other expensive buys, such as T Natarajan, Shivam Mavi, and the veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as all the franchises looked to strengthen their respective fast-bowling stables.
