IPL Auction 2014: Picking the Worst-Value Buys on Day 2
The player auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) is at an end, with all eight teams having selected all players who will play for them in the Twenty20 competition.
The second day of the auction was dominated by Indian players, who made up a large proportion of the 84 to be taken by the franchises for a total of $8.38 million.
Now it’s all over, let’s take a look at the worst-value buys picked up by teams on the second day as they prepare for the tournament to begin.
10. Manish Pandey
1 of 10
Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
Price: $283,000
The first Indian to score a century in the IPL, Manish Pandey’s final fee of $283,000 still seems a little inflated.
He needs to find consistency in his batting; maybe this is the year for him to do it.
9. Iqbal Abdulla
2 of 10
Team: Rajasthan Royals
Price: $108,000
He may have shown good potential in last year’s IPL, but $108,000 still seems a little too much to pay for Iqbal Abdulla, a spinner who has taken 66 wickets in 67 Twenty20 matches.
He clearly has some ability, but perhaps the Royals overpaid a little for him.
8. Lokesh Rahul
3 of 10
Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Price: $166,000
Sunrisers Hyderabad paid more for the relatively unproven Lokesh Rahul than for players of international quality such as Jason Holder and Brendan Taylor.
Undoubtedly talented, Rahul definitely has potential but could easily have been bought for much less.
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7. Gurkeerat Singh
4 of 10
Team: Kings XI Punjab
Price: $216,000
One who was subject to a bidding war was Gurkeerat Singh, a man who has scored just four Twenty20 half-centuries in 35 matches so far.
This war meant his price became a little inflated, and there will now be pressure on him to live up to his billing.
6. Aditya Tare
5 of 10
Team: Mumbai Indians
Price: $266,000
He may be a talented wicketkeeper and batsman, but Aditya Tare was one who could have been bought for much less in the auction.
His batting statistics so far in the shortest form do not quite justify him being bought for more than some more experienced team-mates in the Indians' squad.
5. Rajat Bhatia
6 of 10
Team: Rajasthan Royals
Price: $283,000
He may be highly regarded in India, but Rajat Bhatia being bought by the Royals for more than Tim Southee does not seem quite right.
Seen as unlucky not to play international cricket, he may yet justify his price tag, but perhaps his services did not need to cost so much.
4. Kuldeep Yadav
7 of 10
Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
Price: $66,000
Due to make his IPL debut this year, Kuldeep Yadav could easily have sold for less at auction.
He is unproven at the top level, and while he has shown potential for India’s under-19s, this will be an entirely different proposition.
3. Jasprit Bumrah
8 of 10
Team: Mumbai Indians
Price: $200,000
Another member of the Mumbai Indians, Jasprit Bumrah may well be an exciting prospect but is surely not yet worth $200,000.
While 13 wickets in 11 Twenty20 matches shows some potential, his price seems rather high based on where he is in his career.
2. Rishi Dhawan
9 of 10
Team: Kings XI Punjab
Price: $500,000
Bought by Kings XI Punjab for $500,000, Rishi Dhawan has never scored a half-century in Twenty20 cricket and has taken just 20 wickets.
It seems a lot of money to spend on someone who has not yet proven himself in any form of cricket.
1. Karn Sharma
10 of 10
Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Price: $625,000
Sunrisers Hyderabad may well have picked up a very talented player in Karn Sharma, but it seems slightly odd that they paid more for him than West Indian Darren Sammy and proven Indian seamer Ishant Sharma.
India’s under-25 player of the year for 2012-13 clearly has ability, but it remains to be seen if he can live up to such a weighty price tag.
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