The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction came and went, with clubs splurging on foreign and domestic cricketers to bolster their squads ahead of the tournament’s 17th year.
The highly awaited event took place in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19, with the 10 IPL clubs spending a total of 230.45 crores to sign up to 72 players for the forthcoming season.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) busted the bank to sign Mitchell Starc for a whopping 24.75 crore. Starc became the most expensive player in IPL history as a result of this. Pat Cummins had established the record by joining the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for a whopping 20.50 crore.
While the high-profile signings will get the most attention, the teams also made other steals that might affect the tournament.
Fortunately for them, numerous clubs were able to address the vacancies in their starting lineup from the previous season by recruiting the players they required without spending a lot of money.
On that point, here are the best five bargains from the just finished IPL 2024 mini-auction.
5. Shardul Thakur – ₹4 crore to CSK
Supporters of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be thrilled. Shardul Thakur is rejoining the team after a two-year absence.
An Indian fast bowling all-rounder has always been a rare commodity in the IPL, therefore players like Thakur and Harshal Patel were anticipated to command high bids.
CSK, on the other hand, made a wonderful deal to sign Thakur for 4 crore. Thakur’s presence will not only provide CSK with much-needed bowling expertise, but would also let them to use their foreign spots on specialty players.
4. Tom Kohler-Cadmore – ₹50 lakh to RR
Tom Kohler-Cadmore eventually secured his first IPL contract after outstanding performances in several T20 tournaments across the world when Rajasthan Royals (RR) purchased him for just 50 lakh.
Picking Kohler-Cadmore at his base price is an excellent deal for Rajasthan, who now have a more than enough backup for Jos Buttler. Buttler had a terrible IPL 2023 season, averaging only 28 after 14 matches.
Rajasthan could greatly benefit from Kohler-Cadmore. The 29-year old right-hander has established a reputation through his impressive performances playing for many T20 franchises.
He has also been in excellent form recently, topping the latest Abu Dhabi T10 league with 368 runs at an astounding strike rate of 224.39. Tom Kohler-Cadmore is a somewhat obscure commodity in the IPL, having played about 170 T20 games.
3. Gerald Coetzee – ₹5 crore to MI
In an auction when speed bowlers such as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc went for astronomical amounts in excess of 20 crore, Mumbai Indians (MI) may have struck gold by acquiring Gerald Coetzee for only 5 crore.
Mumbai needed some help in the bowling department going into the auction. As a result, they were interested in various bowlers, including Coetzee, who had a fantastic ODI World Cup 2023 for South Africa.
Coetzee, on his first trip to India, became the main wicket-taker for the Proteas. He achieved an impressive average of 19.80 by securing 20 wickets in a mere eight games.
Coetzee is considered to be a sure-shot starter for MI, because to his quick off-the-deck deliveries and added velocity.
2. Wanindu Hasaranga – ₹1.50 crore to SRH
Wanindu Hasaranga, who was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for 1.50 crore, was one of the finest value buys during the IPL 2024 auction.
Aside from World Cup champions Travis Head and Pat Cummins, SRH bolstered their spin department by bringing in Hasaranga, who is now one of the greatest white-ball leg-spinners.
The Sri Lankan maestro is a sharp tweaker with a superb googly and a decent lower-order hitting option. When fully recovered, Hasaranga will lead Hyderabad’s spin department.
The Orange Army may have finally discovered a competent successor for Rashid Khan at an incredibly inexpensive price by acquiring a player who cost 10.75 crore two years ago.
1. Rachin Ravindra – ₹1.80 cr to CSK
Rachin Ravindra created a justifiable stir when he entered the IPL 2024 mini-auction. After all, the cricket player from New Zealand had an incredible ODI World Cup 2023 campaign.
Ravindra, who batted in the top order for the Kiwis, was their most dependable player during the World Cup, amassing 578 runs at a perfect 64.22 average, including three hundreds.
He crushed some of the world’s greatest bowlers and shown tremendous control and maturity, which will serve him well in the IPL. While he will have to compete for a spot in CSK, Ravindra appears to be a classic “MS Dhoni” addition who can contribute in all three areas.
