IPL 2022: Who will be the costliest player in mega auction? These 5 players lead race

1 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer will start at Rs 2 crore base price. The India middle-order batsman is in form and a hot property at the auction. He was expected to find a place in either Lucknow and Ahmedabad, the two new IPL teams, but was not picked up. But that will come as a blessing in disguise for him as he can get picked up for a big price at the auction. Teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings could be in the running for him.

2 David Warner

The hard-hitting Australian had a sordid end to the IPL 2021, stripped of Sunrisers Hyderabad captaincy, dropped from the match-day squad and did not figure in the SRH retention. But Warner is one of the most successful batsmen and captain of the IPL, having led SRH to their only IPL title in 2016. He is 5th in the all time list of run-scorer in the IPL with 5449 runs including 4 hundreds and 50 fifties. Warner was also the man of the tournament in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, guiding Australia to their maiden T20 world title with a power-packed performance as opener. In that context, teams will be queuing up to sign the left-hander.

3 Pat Cummins

The Australian Test skipper had a good season for Kolkata Knight Riders before opting out of the second leg in the UAE. But Cummins remains the premium fast bowler of these times, and had a wonderful Ashes recently against England. Cummins also showed good vibes Australia captain and that will add to his value the side. Additionally, Cummins can contribute in lower-order with the bat as well.

4 Shahrukh Khan

The Tamil Nadu young man could be the dark horse in this IPL 2022 auction. He was released by Punjab Kings despite a good IPL 2021 but his stock has only risen since then. His last ball six against Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or another match-winning effort against the same side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy have marked his development as a batsman. He has entered in the base Rs 20 lakh category and is certain to cross the eight-figure salary and might even end in the top rung. That multiple teams are in the fray for Shahrukh can only a good indication for him.

5 Harshal Patel

Harshal was the Purple Cap holder for most wickets in the IPL 2021 with 32 wickets from 15 matches. Despite that, Harshal could not earn a retention from Royal Challengers Bangalore, perhaps keeping in mind the economy. Since then Harshal has made his India debut and has been impressive. The watershed IPL 2021 will surely have increased his value and it will reflect in the auction. A bowler who can take wickets in the Power Plays or at the death, Harshal’s versatility will come handy for teams and more than one franchise will be gunning for him in the auction come February.