IPL 8 auctions: The good, the bad and the ugly purchases

Yuvraj Singh was the biggest headline maker on the day of the IPL 8 auction, after being bought by Delhi Daredevils for a staggering amount of 16 crores. Dinesh Karthik was the next big purchase, with RCB splashing out 10.5 crores to secure the wicket-keeper’s services. There were quite a few other big purchases, mysterious new names and surprising exclusions in this year’s auction. Here’s a quick review the best and the worst purchases on Monday.

Biggest buys or biggest risks?

Yuvraj Singh

All right, he is a sure-shot crowd-puller and can win you games single-handedly on his day. But is 16 crores in keeping with his form? Certainly not. And it’s not like his IPL form tells a different story. With so many in-form players like Amla, Sangakkara, Dilshan and Samuels up for grabs, it comes out as an even bigger surprise.

Dinesh Karthik

He’s a fine wicket-keeper batsman. But is he really worth 10.5 crore. He was sold for a big amount even last time around and aside from a couple of handful knocks, none of his performances were memorable.

Amit Mishra

3.5 crore for the inconsistent Mishra is certainly a bit of a stretch. A successful spinner in the IPL has to be one who is difficult to read and Mishra’s bowling was quite predictable in the last IPL, at least.

Murali Vijay

While he has blossomed in the longer format in recent games, his T20 form has taken a bit of a hit in recent times. Not that it’s likely to have a major impact on Punjab’s form, considering they have the likes of Maxwell and Miller in their middle order.

Zaheer Khan

He has been a top pacer for India for many a year, but Zak is certainly not as lethal as he used to be. At 4 crores, he looks a bit of a liability, to be honest.

Praveen Kumar

Hyderabad have secured some high-profile names for bargain prices this time around. PK is not one of them.

The bargains

Kane Williamson: The Kiwi batsman has been on top of his game this season and 60 lakhs is a shocking low price for him. Either way, Hyderabad’s gain, others’ loss.

Trent Boult: Hyderabad paid 3.8 crore for the left-arm pacer and he looks every bit worth it.

Eoin Morgan: 1.5 crores for an expert of the short format is an absolute bargain. He has shown us his explosive form in the Big Bash. He could take IPL by storm.

Darren Sammy: Bangalore paid 2.8 crore for him. A great finisher, born leader and a key wicket-taker, Sammy is a real steal.

Aaron Finch: 3.2 crores for Finch in his current form is an amazing deal for Mumbai. They needed a reliable opener and now they have one.

The mystery buys

We know very little about these players. And we were quite surprised to see big bucks being splashed around to secure their services.

KC Cariappa (2.4 crore) to KKR
Shreyas Iyer (2.6 crore) to Delhi
Gurinder Sandhu (1.7 crore) to Delhi
David Wiese (2.8 crore) RCB

Shocking snubs

The list of unsold players shocks us every single time, and this year is no different. The following big names need no introduction.

Hashim Amla
Cameron White
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Marlon Samuels
Kumar Sangakkara
Alex Hales
Ross Taylor
Luke Ronchi