The Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction witnessed an intense bidding war between 10 franchises to assemble their best possible squad for the upcoming editions of the tournament.
After two action-packed days of the auction, the franchises spent a whopping Rs 551.70 cr to acquire the services of 204 players.
With two news teams in the fray, the demand and supply affected the dynamics of the mega auction. While some promising talents pocketed hefty packages, few cricketers had to take a massive pay cut.
On that note, here are the biggest winners and losers from the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction.
Winner - Harshal Patel
India fast bowler Harshal Patel was undoubtedly the biggest winner from the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction. The 31-year-old was acquired by his former franchise Bangalore for a staggering amount of INR 10.75 crore. Harshal, who was being paid INR 20 lakh in the last edition, received a hike of 5275 per cent. The Haryana captain was the highest wicket-taker for Bangalore last season, picking 32 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 8.14.
Loser - Suresh Raina
Former Chennai batter Suresh Raina failed to attract any bidders in the recently-concluded Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction. Raina has been a mainstay for Chennai since the inception of the Indian T20 League in 2008, amassing 5528 runs in 205 matches at a strike rate of 136.76 and an average of 32.51. Having set his base price at INR 2 crore, Raina failed to garner a single bid and as a result, won’t feature in the tournament for the first time in the tournament's history.
Winner - Tim David
Five-time champions Team Mumbai roped in Singaporean-Australian cricketer Tim David for INR 8.25 crore. The 25-year-old, who previously turned out once for Team Bangalore, entered the Indian T20 League 2022 auction at the base price of INR 40 lakh. Delhi, Kolkata, Punjab, Lucknow and Rajasthan were also interested in him as they entered the bidding war. Tim David has amassed 558 runs in 14 T20Is at a strike rate of 158.5 and an average of 46.5. David received a 4025 per cent hike in his salary, making him one of the biggest winners from the mega auction.
Loser - Krishnappa Gowtham
Karnataka off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham witnessed his stocks fall massively as he endured massive pay cuts. Gowtham, who became the highest-paid uncapped player in 2021, bagged a deal of just INR 90 lakh offered by new franchise Team Lucknow. Gowtham acquired a new contract with a decreased percentage of 90.28, making him one of the biggest losers in the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction.
Featured photo: Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP
