The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League will mark the fifteenth campaign of the competition. Kickstarted in 2008, the tournament has managed to revolutionize the game not only in India but also at a global level. Although cricket is at the center of it, other factors such as player-fan relationships and player-franchise associations have also played a huge role in the success of IPL. In this article, we take a look at the five most iconic buys in IPL Auction History.
5) Andre Russell – INR 0.6 Cr (Kolkata Knight Riders-IPL 2014)
There is something special when a franchise keeps hold of a player despite the struggle that he faces. This holds true in the case of Andre Russell and KKR.
Russell had to face a ban in 2017, struggled to keep fitness in many seasons and yet, KKR retained him. He repaid the faith with a few blockbuster performances. Now, ahead of IPL 2022, as well, despite the recent underwhelming form, the franchise has retained him.
4) David Warner – INR 5.5 Cr (Sunrisers Hyderabad-IPL 2014)
Sunrisers Hyderabad was struggling to build a brand in IPL. This is when they hired David Warner in 2014. Apart from doing well with the bat, the Aussie also helped the franchise win the league in 2016.
However, in IPL 2021, this association ended. Warner was stripped of the captaincy and was also dropped from the squad. Ahead of IPL 2022 Auctions, SRH also decided to release their talisman. Probably, when it comes to a list of iconic associations not ending well, the Warner-SRH saga stands at the top of the pile.
3) AB de Villiers – INR 5.06 Cr (Royal Challengers Bangalore-IPL 2011)
While it is easier for an Indian to form a special bond with a fanbase, it is much harder for a foreigner to have a connection. However, in AB de Villiers and RCB’s case, that occurred. Apart from scoring, 4522 runs and winning plenty of games for the franchise, the fans of RCB like ABD for many other reasons.
Recently, ABD announced his retirement from the game. It was a difficult pill for the cricket fans to swallow, more so for the followers of RCB. It now needs to be seen if he would come back in any capacity to RCB.
2) Rohit Sharma – INR 9.2 Cr (Mumbai Indians-IPL 2011)
Rohit Sharma played for the Deccan Chargers in the initial three seasons. Mumbai Indians, who were always a popular team, had to look for a player who could replace Sachin Tendulkar as the face of the franchise. Sachin was still in the squad but his time in the competition was coming to an end.
This is when MI went all out to bring the local boy home. Rohit Sharma is the highest run-scorer for the franchise and of course, he has five trophies as the captain. Hence, this is also an iconic signing.
1) MS Dhoni – INR 6 Cr (Chennai Super Kings-IPL 2008)
The signing of MS Dhoni by Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2008 stands at the top of this list of the most iconic buys in IPL Auction History. At the initial auctions, other teams already had an “Icon” Player. However, CSK did not have one. Hence, they had to build their squad from the scratch.
MS Dhoni had already proved his mettle as a cricketer and a captain. Hence, it was a no-brainer that CSK went after him. MSD ended as the highest earner of the auction. Even now, Dhoni is the captain of the franchise and has also won four IPL trophies. The MS Dhoni-CSK connection is special and is regarded as one of the greatest associations in IPL till now.
