Mega IPL Auction 2022: The Indian Premier League’s day 1 mega auction at ITC Gardenia in Bengaluru, which commenced at 12 noon on Saturday, saw some very intense bidding for marquee players as well as fairly new names. There were several favourites even before the players went under the hammer. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan became the first Rs 10 crore+ buy of the Mumbai Indians. Ishan Kishan is now most expensive cricketer for the IPL Auction 2022 on Day 1. Mumbai Indians made sure that Kishan remained in camp blue for whopping Rs 15.25 crore. Ishan Kishan had a base price of Rs 2 crore. The auction room saw a fierce bidding war between the Mumbai Indians and the Sun Risers Hyderabad for Ishan Kishan. Ultimately, Mumbai Indians won the auction round for the 23-year-old.
Also Read | Mega IPL Auction 2022: Ishan Kishan, Deepak Chahar, Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur- Players who broke Rs 10-crore barrier on Day 1
Next up is stylish batter Shreyas Iyer, who is slatted as the skipper for this year’s Kolkata Knight Rider IPL squad. At the base price of Rs 2 crore, Iyer was sold to KKR at Rs 12.5 crore. He was the first player of the marquee set to be sold for Rs 10 crore plus price tag on Day 1 of the mega IPL auction. From the Delhi Capitals to the new teams Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, almost everybody in the room wanted Iyer. But it was Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR that finally broke the bank to buy Iyer.
Shardul Thakur, the bowling all-rounder, with a base price of Rs 2 crore was acquired by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 10.25 crore. There was some sharp round of bidding between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals for Thakur.
One of the most dramatic entry into the Rs 10 crore+ club is Harshal Patel. At a base price of just Rs 20 lakh, the Royal Challengers Bangalore picked up Patel for Rs 10.75 crore. The 31- year-old is the bowling all-rounder and has been the skipper of Haryana team during Ranji Trophy.