The 2022 IPL auction recently took place and we saw a number of big names be bought as franchises look to try and become the champions of this year’s edition.
Of course, the Chennai Super Kings are the defending champions after they won their fourth title of the competition last season and the perennial finalists will be looking to go level with the Mumbai Indians in the lead for most Indian Premier League championships since the competition was formed.
Indeed, the fast-paced cricket competition is a global spectacle and attracts a huge audience, as many continue to tune in to watch some of the world’s best players compete against each other for glory. The highly competitive action that is seen on the field is watched by millions of viewers all around the world, with many participating in live cricket betting to further amplify and enhance the overall experiences that they get from the highly popular competition.
As mentioned, the 2022 IPL auction recently took place, so let’s take a look at what each team did with the campaign beginning on April 2, 2022.
Mumbai Indians
The Mumbai Indians raised eyebrows with their draft process as they were rather intriguing over the two days. They purchased Ishan Kishan on the first day but left themselves with the second-biggest purse as they headed into the second day.
However, it appeared to work as they accelerated their strategy with purchases of Jofra Archer and Tim David, before picking up fast-bowling pair Daniel Sams, and Tymal Mills, making their first XI look exceptionally strong. Perhaps a downside is the fact that a quality Indian spinner was not obtained.
Chennai Super Kings
As mentioned, the Chennai Super Kings are defending champions and it is perhaps no surprise they continued to follow the same template that they have used before.
They picked up players such as Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, and Adam Milne, whilst they have suitable backups, thus allowing them to have some rather strong squad depth. The only issue might be that they may have wanted a more-established overseas opener, but they will likely be happy nonetheless.
Lucknow SuperGiants
One of the best-prepared franchises, the Lucknow SuperGiants appear to have covered all bases with six international all-rounders. KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock at the top, Marcus Stonis and Krunal Pandya in the middle, with Mark Wood and Avesh leading the pace attack. This franchise certainly looks strong on paper, so it will be interesting to see where they end up.
Delhi Capitals
Keen to get back to their core, the Delhi Capitals managed to acquire David Warner at a small price, whilst also arguably being able to assemble one of the best top fours in the competition. Furthermore, they have a number of bowling options, including three-left arm quicks, although there might be some that would feel the team could do with an experienced overseas fast bowler alongside Anrich Nortje.
Punjab Kings
The Punjab Kings might have actually got the 2022 IPL auction right, with a number of talented purchases. Shikhar Dhawan arrives whilst he will play with big-hitters Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone, whilst the bowling attack features immense talent too. Shah Rukh Khan, Odean Smith, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, and Raj Bawaw are all available with the ball.
Kolkata Knight Riders
The Kolkata Knight Riders already entered the auction in a good position after retaining Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine from last season, whilst also having the experienced Ajinkya Rahane. They also brought back Nitish Rana, Pat Cummins, and Shivam Mavi on the first day, whilst Shreyas Iyer, Alex Hales, Sam Billings, Tim Southee, and Umesh Yadav were all picked up on Day Two.
Rajasthan Royals
Having retained Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the Rajasthan Royals decided to get R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal before adding Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna at the end of Day One. The following day saw the team add Rassie van der Dussen, James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Daryl Mitchell.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
A lack of batters might hurt the Sunrisers Hyderabad this year as they focused on investing in on bowlers. Kane Williamson is a good addition, but his injury troubles with his elbow could cause problems, however the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, and T Natarajan return, whilst they have added Kartik Tyagi and Sean Abbott and all rounders Marco Jansen and Romario Shepherd.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
The Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to retain the likes of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammed Siraj whilst also working hard to add some solid bowling options. These included Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, and Wanindu Hasaranga, whilst also acquiring Jason Behrendorff and David Willey. Allrounder Faf du Plessis was also added, which could allow Kohli to be more free-striking.
Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans could be argued to have had a rather poor auction, despite having Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, and Shubman Gill. They did manage to obtain Matthew Wade and Wriddhiman Saha, as well as Jason Roy and Lockie Ferguson, but there is some rather concerning inexperience in the batting lineup that could pose a real problem.