With the IPL 2024 auction on December 19, teams will look to make smart and strategic picks with a small purse at the mini-auction. However, irrespective of which franchise buys players like Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, or Rachin Ravindra, none of them would come close to being the best buys. These are the 5 best picks in IPL auction history:
Player | Auction Edition | Franchise | Price |
---|---|---|---|
MS Dhoni | 2008 | Chennai Super Kings | $1.5 million |
Virat Kohli | 2008 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | $30,000 |
Rohit Sharma | 2011 | Mumbai Indians | ₹9.2 crore |
Sunil Narine | 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders | ₹3.5 crore |
Lasith Malinga | 2008 | Mumbai Indians | $3,50,000 |
5 smart picks in IPL auction history
- MS Dhoni: The most successful skipper in IPL history was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in 2008 for $1.5 million. That amount seemed huge at the time, but the wicketkeeper has paid the franchise back handsomely. Dhoni led CSK to 5 titles (joint most) and the most match wins (113) in IPL history.
- Virat Kohli: Picked for just 30 thousand dollars, the Royal Challengers Bangalore great paid them back with interest. Having played in 16 editions of the league, Kohli still represents the franchise. Apart from having the 4th most caps (237 matches), Kohli is also the highest run-scorer in the league’s history.
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- Rohit Sharma: Having yet to make a mark in international cricket, Rohit was picked up for a whopping ₹9.2 crore by the Mumbai Indians. In the 13 seasons since, Rohit has led MI to 5 titles (joint most). The Mumbai batter also has 2nd most caps (243 matches) and is the fourth-highest run scorer in the IPL.
- Sunil Narine: Considered a costly buy, Narine continues to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Having played 162 matches for the franchise, Narine is the 8th-highest wicket-taker in the IPL (163 wickets) and the highest wicket-taker in KKR history. The mystery spinner also has over 1,000 runs to his name.
- Lasith Malinga: The only retired player on the list, the unorthodox pacer took $350000 home in 2008. Despite playing just 122 matches, Malinga ended with the 6th most wickets in IPL history (170) and continues to serve the franchise as coach after his retirement.
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