The much-awaited Indian Premier League 2022 Auction is finally done and dusted. After an intense and exhaustive couple of days, teams have completed their respective squads ahead of the upcoming season. With ten teams participating, the auction was quite an interesting affair, with a lot of players going for higher bids than usual.
Now that the teams are finalized, it is time to review the performance of the franchises at the mega auction. While not every team enjoyed the success that they would have liked to, some of the sides have done a wonderful job during the two-day event.
That being said, here are four teams that enjoyed a successful IPL Auction this time around:
#1 Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals went hammer and tongs after the players that they wanted in their side
Delhi Capitals had built a strong core over the last few seasons, which was also a reason for their successful campaigns. However, they had the challenge to build another strong side this time around, and the management was up to the challenge.
Even before the auction, their retention list stood out with some big names continuing with the franchise. At the auction, Delhi did well to bag steals in the likes of David Warner and Mustafizur Rahman. With Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant already retained, Warner only adds to their formidable top order.
Further, the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Shardul Thakur add to their batting strength apart from the bowling perspective as well. With the likes of KS Bharat, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, and Yash Dhull, they have also done well to pick up numerous Indian batters.
In addition, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed, Lungi Ngidi, and Vicky Ostwal add to their bowling depth giving them plenty of options and flexibility.
#2 Lucknow Super Giants
Lucknow Super Giants, one among the two new franchises, have what looks like a very well-balanced squad. They appear to have plenty of multi-utility players in the side. The three draft picks in KL Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi and Marcus Stoinis were already quality inclusions. In the auction, they added Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, Deepak Hooda, and Krunal Pandya to give themselves good options for both foreign and Indian players.
The late bids that Lucknow made on Dushmantha Chameera and Evin Lewis also added to the strength and depth of the squad, giving them decent overseas back-ups. With Shahbaz Nadeem, Krishnappa Gowtham, Avesh Khan, Mark Wood, and Manish Pandey, the Uttar Pradesh-based side has a plethora of options and has arguably done a fairly good job going into their maiden season.
#3 Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings may not have an impressive record in the IPL but their work in this auction has been commendable. They have a good mix of flexible players, a good-looking batting core, a few hard-hitters, and a decent bowling attack. The likes of Mayank Agarwal, Shikhar Dhawan, and Jonny Bairstow form a solid top-order with Liam Livingstone, Shahrukh Khan, Rishi Dhawan, and Odean Smith to follow.
Punjab has also done well with multiple young Indian players who can start and be decent backup options. Kagiso Rabada and Rahul Chahar are two buys that add strength to the bowling. Further, Nathan Ellis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Benny Howell are good overseas back-ups. One can certainly say that Punjab seems to have ticked most boxes on paper with a good-looking squad.
#4 Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals was perhaps the most successful franchise in building a formidable squad
Another team that has not had much success barring their title triumph in the inaugural season, Rajasthan Royals will feel they have done well at the auction. They have acquired the services of Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, and Karun Nair who will join the retained trio of Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jos Buttler.
Adding to that, the likes of James Neesham, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Obed McCoy, Daryl Mitchell, and Rassie van der Dussen are impressive overseas picks.
Rajasthan has done particularly well to strengthen their bowling. Trent Boult will lead the attack with Prasidh Krishna, making it a lethal pace combination to go with two experienced spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin bringing variety to the attack. With their batting line-up, a couple of premier spinners, and a lead foreign and Indian pacer, Rajasthan appears to have a well-balanced side on paper.