Bengaluru: India pacer Harshal Patel earned the second-highest pay check on day one of 2022 IPL Mega Auction here on Saturday. Patel, who was IPL 2021’s leading wicket-taker, was brought back by his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a whopping INR 10.75 crores.
The second round, featuring the bids for batters and all-rounders, had to be halted as auctioneer Hugh Edmeades collapsed in the middle of the bidding of Sri Lanka leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
Consequently, early lunch has been taken with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) saying that Edmeades is stable and will join proceedings after the break.
The round began with Manish Pandey getting interest from former side Sunrisers Hyderabad as well as Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. At INR 4.60 crores, Lucknow eventually snapped the right-handed batter. For West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer, his former side Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals engaged in an intense bidding war before the Jaipur-based franchise took him in for a hefty INR 8.5 crores.
India batter Robin Uthappa was brought back by Chennai Super Kings at his base price of INR 2 crores. Co-incidentally, Chennai was the only team who bid for Uthappa.
England opener Jason Roy was a bargain buy for Gujarat Titans at a base price of INR 2 crores. For India left-handed opener Devdutt Padikkal, his former team Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai were engaged in a three-way battle. But Rajasthan joined in and persisted to take him for INR 7.75 crores.
In the batters’ set, South Africa finisher David Miller, Australia batter Steve Smith and former India batter, Suresh Raina, a bonafide legend for the Chennai Super Kings were unsold. From the all-rounders’ set, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan was also unsold.
The all-rounders’ set saw bids happening at a frenetic pace. Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was brought back by Chennai Super Kings for INR 4.4 crores, brushing off competition from Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians.
Mumbai then got into a battle with Lucknow and Kolkata to buy Nitish Rana. But Kolkata won the bid to buy back Rana for INR 8 crores.
Mumbai, Chennai, Rajasthan and Lucknow were involved in a fierce bidding war for West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder, who recently took four wickets in four balls against England. But it was Lucknow who stood solid and clinched the deal for Holder at INR 8.75 crores.
Royal Challengers Bangalore continued the buy-back spree snapping 2021 IPL’s leading wicket-taker Harshal Patel for a whopping sum of INR 10.75 crores, battling past attempt from Hyderabad and Chennai.
All-rounder Deepak Hooda, whose base accelerated from INR 40L to 75L due to his debut in ODIs against the West Indies, saw interest from Rajasthan, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. But it was Lucknow who succeeded in picking him for INR 5.57 crores. The bidding for Hasaranga was at a fast pace with Hyderabad, Punjab and Bangalore in an intense battle before the collapse of auctioneer brought a halt on the proceedings.
IANS
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