IPL Auction 2015: Top Players and Twitter Reaction from Monday's Sale
Yuvraj Singh attracted a new record bid in the IPL auction for the second consecutive year, moving to Delhi Daredevils for Rs 16 crore (roughly $2.67 million) to highlight a wild day of sales and bidding.
Several other high-profile players find themselves on new squads, with Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Karthik also cracking the million-dollar barrier, moving to Delhi and Royal Challengers Bangalore, respectively.
There were a handful of surprises as well, none bigger than the selection of little-known KC Cariappa, who will certainly have the spotlight on him when IPL action starts later this year. Here's where some of the top players available in the auction ended up, as well as reaction to the value and fit.
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Yuvraj Singh
How great does Yuvraj have to feel right now? It's pretty simple: If teams are willing to break records just to bring you into the fold in consecutive years, you're doing something right. As far as ego boosts go, you can't do much better than this.
Yuvraj took to Twitter to express his excitement at playing for Daredevils next season, and it's easy to see why:
Delhi came into the auction with deep pockets and added a number of talented pieces to go with Yuvraj. Fast bowler Zaheer Khan is an India team-mate and close friend of the prolific 33-year-old, while Sri Lanka captain Mathews didn't become the second-most-expensive player of the auction for no reason.
Daredevils are going to be very good next season, and, thanks to his high price tag, Yuvraj will lead the way.
Kevin Pietersen
I'm not going to take a stand on the controversy surrounding Kevin Pietersen and the England and Wales Cricket Board, but I couldn't help but feel good for the 34-year-old after he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The man can't play for England, but an IPL side is willing to make him the most expensive English player in the entire auction. TV personality Piers Morgan, who has always been vocal in his support of Pietersen, couldn't help but point that out:
The veteran is still a wanted man, even if Hyderabad were the only team to log a bid. He'll be going to a strong squad that could turn some heads this year, so all in all, it was a good day for the South African-born batsman.
Kane Williamson
Speaking of Sunrisers, they added a number of top players and came away with arguably the biggest steal of the entire auction. On top of Pietersen, they successfully bid for England stars Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara and somehow managed to bag New Zealand's Kane Williamson for just Rs 60 lakh ($100,000).
The 24-year-old is in the middle of a massive breakout season, drawing praise from Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum, via BBC Sport's Tim Peach:
That alone makes Hyderabad winners in my book, but the all-round depth of their squad following the auction only adds to the feeling of optimism surrounding the team.
Dinesh Karthik
Last year, Bangalore won the auction for Yuvraj. This year, they lost out to Delhi. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but Karthik is not a bad consolation prize.
The 29-year-old wicketkeeper mainly shines with the bat and will help make up for some of the production Bangalore lost out of Yuvraj. I don't doubt Royal Challengers are going to be very good next season, and while I'd still put them in the "losers" column after the auction, fans won't be down in the dumps for too long.
KC Cariappa
Before you say anything, hear me out first. The young spinner is—reportedly—a very promising prospect who has impressed tremendously in the short format of the sport, and to get picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders despite half of the cricket world having never heard of him is a tremendous feat.
But Rs 2.4 crore ($400,000)? Nevermind the fact the 20-year-old has never played a first-class game. ESPN Cricinfo's Freddie Wilde was kind enough to share a short guide on the player, for those of you who have never heard of him:
Cariappa could be a smash hit, but with the pressure of such a hefty price tag on his shoulders, the youngster is being put into a very difficult situation. Expectations are going to be huge, and no one has any idea whether or not he'll be able to deal with that.
Kolkata also happen to be the defending IPL champions, only adding to the pressure to perform immediately. No, things will not be easy for Cariappa moving forward.
Hashim Amla, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan
As shared by Sky Sports, a number of high-profile stars were not selected in Monday's auction, and the three listed likely expected to find themselves on a team at this point:
Sure, there are a variety of reasons why clubs wouldn't bid for certain players, going from scheduling conflicts to the simple fact some guys just aren't as excited for the IPL. But it's good to feel wanted, regardless.
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