IPL 2024 Auction Analysis: A Comprehensive Review of Each Team’s Least Successful Acquisitions
The IPL 2024 Auction witnessed a mix of impressive, surprising, and underrated player acquisitions. However, some franchises ended up with less favorable and, to be precise, overrated picks. Here’s a rundown of the worst purchases made by each team during the IPL 2024 Auction:
1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK):
-
- Players acquired: Rachin Ravindra (Rs. 1.8 crore)
- Shardul Thakur (Rs. 4 crore)
- Daryl Mitchell (Rs. 14 crore)
- Sameer Rizvi (Rs. 8.4 crore)
- Mustafizur Rahman (Rs. 2 crore)
- Avinash Rao Aravelly (Rs. 20 lakh)
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Mustafizur Rahman. With overseas slots likely occupied by Devon Conway, Daryll Mitchell, Mahesh Theekshana, and Matheesha Pathirana, and spinners performing well at Chepauk, the addition of Rachin Ravindra makes ‘The Fizz’ unlikely to feature.
2. Mumbai Indians (MI):
-
- Players acquired: Gerald Coetzee (Rs 5 crore)
- Nuwan Thushara (Rs 4.8 crore)
- Dilshan Madushanka (Rs. 4.6 crore)
- Mohammad Nabi (Rs. 1.5 crore)
- Shreyas Gopal (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Anshul Kamboj (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Naman Dhir (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Shivalik Sharma (Rs. 20 lakh).
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Mohammad Nabi. With all-rounder slots filled by Hardik Pandya and Tilak Verma, and Gerald Coetzee and Dilshan Madhushanka likely to be the primary bowlers, the inclusion of the Afghanistani all-rounder seems highly unlikely.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR):
-
- Players acquired: Mitchell Starc (Rs. 24.75 crore)
- Mujeeb Rahman (Rs. 2 crore), Sherfane Rutherford (Rs. 1.5 crore)
- Gus Atkinson (Rs. 1 crore)
- Manish Pandey (Rs. 50 lakh)
- K.S. Bharat (Rs. 50 lakh)
- Chetan Sakariya (Rs. 50 lakh)
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Ramandeep Singh (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Sakib Hussain (Rs. 20 lakh).
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Gus Atkinson. With overseas slots likely filled by Mitchell Starc, Jason Roy, Andre Russell/Sherfane Rutherford, and a choice between Sunil Narine and Mujeeb ul Rahman for spin-friendly tracks at Eden Gardens, Atkinson’s inclusion seems unnecessary.
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB):
Players acquired:
-
- Alzarri Joseph (Rs. 11.5 crore)
- Yash Dayal (Rs. 5 crore)
- Tom Curran (Rs. 1.5 crore)
- Saurav Chauhan (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Lockie Ferguson (Rs. 2 crore)
- Swapnil Singh (Rs. 20 lakh).
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Yash Dayal. RCB lacks a quality spinner, and with overseas slots occupied by Faf Du Plessis, Cameron Green, and Glenn Maxwell, the addition of Alzarri Joseph completes their overseas quota. Opting for a spinner over the inconsistent Dayal would have been a better choice.
Also Read : Virat Kohli Re-enters Top 10 in ICC Test Player Rankings After South Africa Series
5. Gujarat Titans (GT):
Players acquired:
-
- Azmatullah Omarzai (Rs. 50 lakh)
- Umesh Yadav (Rs. 5.8 crore)
- Manav Suthar (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Shahrukh Khan (Rs. 7.4 crore)
- Sushant Mishra (Rs. 2.2 crore)
- Kartik Tyagi (Rs. 60 lakh)
- Spencer Johnson (Rs. 10 crore)
- Robin Minz (Rs. 3.6 crore).
Identified as the least favorable purchase:Umesh Yadav. With quality pacers in Spencer Johnson and Azmatullah Omarzai, and the spin proficiency of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed, there’s little room for an additional bowler.
6. Rajasthan Royals (RR):
Players acquired:
-
- Rovman Powell (Rs. 7.4 crore)
- Shubham Dubey (Rs. 5.8 crore)
- Nandre Burger (Rs. 50 lakh)
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Rs. 40 lakh)
- Abid Mushtaq (Rs. 20 lakh).
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Rovman Powell. Known for inconsistency and vulnerability against spin, Powell doesn’t seem to be a reliable option, especially considering his lack of footwork against seamers with pitch movement.
7. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG):
Players acquired:
-
- Shivam Mavi (Rs. 6.4 crore)
- M. Siddharth (Rs. 2.4 crore)
- David Willey (Rs. 2 crore)
- Ashton Turner (Rs. 1 crore)
- Arshin Kulkarni (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Mohd. Arshad Khan (Rs. 20 lakh).
Identified as the least favorable purchase: David Willey. With Mohsin Khan providing a better left-arm pace option and Shivam Mavi strengthening the pace attack alongside Mark Wood, the acquisition of Willey seems redundant.
Also Read : IPL 2024: A Deeper Look at Mitchell Starc’s Price Tag and Alternative Choices for KKR
8. Delhi Capitals (DC):
Players acquired:
-
- Harry Brook (Rs. 4 crore)
- Tristan Stubbs (Rs. 50 lakh)
- Ricky Bhui (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Kumar Kushagra (Rs. 7.2 crore)
- Rasikh Dhar (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Jhye Richardson (Rs. 5 crore)
- Sumit Kumar (Rs. 1 crore)
- Shai Hope (Rs. 75 lakh)
- Swastik Chhikara (Rs. 20 lakh).
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Kumar Kushagra. With a solid batting lineup, DC could have invested in promising Indian bowlers instead of a batter. Stubbs and Hope, however, are excellent additions to the team.
9. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH):
Players acquired:
-
- Pat Cummins (Rs. 20.5 crore)
- Travis Head (Rs. 6.8 crore)
- Jaydev Unadkat (Rs. 1.6 crore)
- Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs. 1.5 crore)
- Akash Singh (Rs. 20 lakh)
- Jhathavedh Subramanyan (Rs. 20 lakh)
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Wanindu Hasaranga. Despite being an excellent bowler, Hasaranga’s acquisition doesn’t make sense given SRH’s already irreplaceable overseas players, limiting his potential game time.
Also Read: Nominees Unveiled for ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023
10. Punjab Kings (PBKS):
The players acquired by PBKS in the IPL 2024 Auction include:
- Harshal Patel (Rs 11.75 crore)
- Chris Woakes (Rs 4.2 crore)
- Prince Chaudhary (Rs 20 lakh)
- Tanay Thyagarajan (Rs 20 lakh)
- Shashank Singh (Rs 20 lakh)
- Vishwanath Pratap Singh (Rs 20 lakh)
- Ashutosh Sharma (Rs 20 lakh)
- Rilee Rossouw (Rs 8 crore)
Identified as the least favorable purchase: Rilee Rossouw. This decision is based on his age of 37 and inconsistent performance. PBKS could have opted for more reliable options such as Josh Inglis or Steve Smith, both proven performers in the T20 format.
