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With the addition of two new teams, the February 12-13 IPL Players Auction will be a thrilling affair.
The world's best T20 players are up for grabs and all the 10 teams will be going all out to bag them as they look to rebuild at the mega auction.
Indian stars like Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are likely to trigger a huge bidding war.
David Warner will be looking to find a new home after a rough time with SunRisers Hyderabad last year, while pacers Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada will also attract huge interest.
What makes these players such hot properties at the IPL Players Auction? Why are the franchises ready to pay such huge sums to buy them?
Harish Kotian and Rajneesh Gupta present the form guide of the top 10 players at the IPL Auction 2022:
Ishan Kishan
Mumbai Indians surprised fans when they released batting sensation Ishan Kishan, retaining Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard ahead of him.
Kishan is likely to have the last laugh with not only Mumbai, but all the other franchises set to bid aggressively for him at the auction.
The young left-hander made his mark in the 2020 season with 516 runs from 14 games to power Mumbai Indians to the IPL title, which also earned him a call-up to the Indian team.
Following his sensational rise in the last couple of years, there is no doubt that Ishan could end up as one of the costliest buys at the IPL auction.
Form Guide:
| Ishan Kishan | Mts | Inns | NO | Runs | Hs | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 | Ct / St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 61 | 56 | 5 | 1452 | 99 | 28.47 | 136.33 | 0 | 9 | 19 / 2 |
| IPL 2021 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 241 | 84 | 26.77 | 133.88 | 0 | 2 | 3 / 0 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 5 | 5 | 1 | 113 | 56 | 28.25 | 134.52 | 0 | 1 | 0 / 1 |
David Warner
David Warner endured a nightmare IPL 2021 season when he was dropped from the Sunrisers Hyderabad playing XI.
Warner captained Sunrisers to the IPL title in 2016. He was instrumental in the triumph with 848 runs at a strike rate of 151, but the team owners and management looked the other way when he went a few games without runs last season.
Warner bounced back in great style in the T20 World Cup last year, with the second-best tally of 289 runs at a strike rate of 146, to power Australia to the title.
He is the fifth highest run-getter in the IPL and the most by an overseas batsman with 5,449 runs in 150 games at an average of 41 with a strike rate of 139.
One of the most destructive openers in T20 cricket and a captain with a good track in the IPL, Warner will certainly be one of the most sought-after players at the auction.
Form Guide:
| David Warner | Mts | Inns | NO | Runs | Hs | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 150 | 150 | 19 | 5449 | 126 | 41.59 | 139.96 | 4 | 50 |
| IPL 2021 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 195 | 57 | 24.37 | 107.73 | 0 | 2 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 12 | 12 | 2 | 475 | 89* | 47.50 | 138.88 | 0 | 6 |
Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal's release by Royal Challengers Bangalore was surprising. He was one of RCB's most consistent performers in recent seasons.
Chahal did well in the second leg of IPL 2021 in the UAE, taking 14 wickets in eight games at an economy rate of 6.13.
With the IPL likely to be played in spin-friendly conditions in India, every team would be keen to have a bowler of Chahal's class.
In 2018, RCB retained Chahal at the auction using the Right to Match card, but this year that option no longer exists.
Unless RCB break the bank, Chahal could well be starring with the ball for another franchise this season.
Form Guide:
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Mts | Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | 4W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 114 | 139 | 22.28 | 7.59 | 4-25 | 2 |
| IPL 2021 | 15 | 18 | 20.77 | 7.05 | 3-11 | 0 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 14 | 12 | 40.08 | 8.74 | 3-25 | 0 |
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer is also likely to bag a massive contract at the IPL auction.
Iyer, who opted not to stay with Delhi Capitals, will be a stellar attraction with nearly every franchise keen to bag him.
A few teams could look towards Iyer, who led Delhi Capitals to the 2020 IPL final, as their captain this season.
Iyer has been consistent with the bat in the last few years, with 519 runs in 2021, but was hampered by injury last year when he played in just the second leg in the UAE.
Form Guide:
| Shreyas Iyer | Mts | Inns | NO | Runs | Hs | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 87 | 87 | 12 | 2375 | 96 | 31.66 | 123.95 | 0 | 16 |
| IPL 2021 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 175 | 47* | 35.00 | 102.33 | 0 | 0 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 18 | 15 | 4 | 354 | 67 | 32.18 | 135.63 | 0 | 2 |
Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar's recent exploits with both bat and ball for India could work in his favour.
He nearly took India to victory from an unlikely position stroking a quickfire 54 from 34 balls in the third ODI against South Africa last month, while also taking two wickets.
In his previous ODI, he had steered India to victory from a similar position, with an unbeaten 69 from 82 balls at No 9, to lift India to a three-wicket victory in the third ODI against Sri Lanka in July last year.
Chahar has been one of Chennai Super Kings's key bowlers ever since joining the franchise in 2018 and the defending champions are likely to go all out to get him back at the auction.
Form Guide:
| Deepak Chahar | Mts | Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | 4W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 63 | 59 | 29.18 | 7.80 | 4-13 | 2 |
| IPL 2021 | 15 | 14 | 32.21 | 8.35 | 4-13 | 2 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 7 | 6 | 40.83 | 9.67 | 2-24 | 0 |
Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar has had a rough few months as injuries rendered him unavailable to play for India since March last year.
He made a good comeback in the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day tournament for Tamil Nadu, picking up 16 wickets and scoring 148 runs in eight games.
Sundar was ruled out of the South Africa ODIs after he tested positive for COVID-19 last month.
The off-spinner, who turned out for RCB in the last four years, has an impressive economy rate of 6.93 in 42 games and is quite adept at bowling in the Powerplay.
Sundar, who is India's youngest-ever T20I player, could be among the top buys at the auction.
Form Guide:
| Washington Sundar | Mts | Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | 4W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 42 | 27 | 32.11 | 6.93 | 3-16 | 0 |
| IPL 2021 | 6 | 3 | 39.33 | 7.37 | 1-7 | 0 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 13 | 10 | 33.30 | 8.22 | 2-29 | 0 |
Trent Boult
Trent Boult formed a deadly new ball partnership with Jasprit Bumrah in the last couple of years.
Boult's 25 wickets in the 2020 season were instrumental in Mumbai Indians winning the IPL title, but he managed just 13 wickets last season.
Boult, who has enough experience of Indian conditions and is a proven performer for New Zealand across formats, could trigger a major bidding war at the IPL auction.
Form Guide:
| Trent Boult | Mts | Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | 4W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 62 | 76 | 26.09 | 8.39 | 4-18 | 1 |
| IPL 2021 | 14 | 13 | 31.23 | 7.90 | 3-28 | 0 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 17 | 23 | 21.34 | 7.36 | 3-17 | 0 |
Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada was another surprise release by Delhi Capitals, who opted to retain his compatriot Anrich Nortje instead.
Rabada, 26, was the highest wicket-taker in the 2020 season when he claimed 30 wickets in 17 games to guide Delhi Capitals to the final.
The fast bowler played a major role in helping South Africa beat India in the Test series, with 20 wickets in three games.
His overall record of 76 wickets in 50 IPL games and his ability to perform under pressure makes him a must-have bowler for any team.
Form Guide:
| Kagiso Rabada | Mts | Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | 4W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 50 | 76 | 20.52 | 8.21 | 4-21 | 4 |
| IPL 2021 | 15 | 15 | 30.40 | 8.14 | 3-36 | 0 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 19 | 21 | 28.42 | 8.80 | 3-20 | 0 |
Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur has enjoyed a dream run in the last couple of years, both for India and in the IPL for CSK.
He was the highest wicket-taker for CSK last year with 21 wickets from 16 games to play a big role in their title triumph.
His fearless approach with the bat, as he displayed in the Tests against England and Australia, and his ability to pick wickets consistently makes him a valuable asset in T20 cricket.
With Indian all-rounders in short supply, there is no doubt that all the 10 franchises would be desperate to buy Thakur at the auction.
Form Guide:
| Shardul Thakur | Mts | Wkts | Avg | RPO | Best | 4W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 61 | 67 | 27.86 | 8.89 | 3-19 | 0 |
| IPL 2021 | 16 | 21 | 25.09 | 8.80 | 3-28 | 0 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 17 | 23 | 21.60 | 9.40 | 3-23 | 0 |
Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock formed a deadly partnership with Rohit Sharma for the Mumbai Indians in the last few seasons.
He had a dream run in 2020 when he scored 503 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 140, following up on the 529 runs he amassed in the previous season.
De Kock is a reliable wicket-keeper and is quite aggressive with the bat.
He enjoyed a good run against India in the recent ODIs with scores of 27, 78 and 124 and is likely to be in the wishlist of every franchise at the auction.
Form Guide:
| Quinton de Kock | Mts | Inns | No | Runs | Hs | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 | Ct / St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall IPL | 77 | 77 | 5 | 2256 | 108 | 31.33 | 130.93 | 1 | 16 | 53 / 14 |
| IPL 2021 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 297 | 70* | 29.70 | 116.01 | 0 | 2 | 4 / 2 |
| Last 2 years in T20Is | 23 | 23 | 2 | 809 | 72 | 38.52 | 142.93 | 0 | 7 | 13 / 5 |
Photographs: BCCI