The IPL Mega auctions 2022 will kickstart in less than 48 hours. Teams are making the last big effort to get their strategies right. They have a list of 500+ players to choose from. The presence of uncapped players in the auctions adds a different dimension to the auction. These players potentially young talents have the ability to drive the franchises ahead. The franchises in this auction will hope that their faith in the uncapped players will pay off handsomely. CAN Shahrukh Khan Break The Uncapped Record?
The evolution of uncapped players in the IPL Auctions:
RCB picked Virat Kohli in 2008 when he was an uncapped player. His salary was INR 12 lakhs back then. Kohli earned the same amount in the first three seasons of the Indian Premier League. Cut to 2018, he became the league’s highest paid player ever. He still holds the record of being the joint-highest paid player in the league’s history.
RCB paid Kohli a whopping INR 17 crores per year for the 2018-21 cycle. Kohli’s batch member from 2008 U-19 World Cup, Ravindra Jadeja, was also an uncapped player in 2008. CSK retained him for INR 16 crores ahead of the auctions in 2022. He broke MS Dhotis long-standing record of being CSK’s highest-paid player.
The Krunal-Gowtham story:
Krunal Pandya became the most expensive uncapped Indian player in IPL 2018. He was retained by the Mumbai Indians through the Right-To-Match (RTM) card in IPL 2018. MI bagged Krunal Pandya for a whopping INR 8.8 crores in IPL 2018. The MI franchise retained faith in the senior Pandya. They had earlier purchased him for INR 2 crores in IPL 2016 auctions. Krunal Pandya won the player of the match award in IPL 2017 finals. MI knew his worth back then and backed him to the hilt.
Krishnappa Gowtham became the highest paid uncapped Indian player in the 2021 auctions. CSK bought him for INR 9.25 crores. He thereby broke Krunal’s 3-year old record. Gowtham ironically was relegated to the sidelines.
Can any uncapped player break this record?
For arguably the first time in the mega auctions there is a tremendous buzz surrounding the uncapped players. The U-19 band too will be on everyone’s radar. But there is one player who has made all the right noises heading into the auctions. His name is Shahrukh Khan. He did exceedingly well in the 2021 auctions too when the Punjab Kings picked him for INR 5.25 crores. His stocks has only risen ever since. Khan had a decent IPL with a strike rate of 134. He strikes at 139 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
What possibilities does this finisher have?
CAN Shahrukh Khan Break The Uncapped Record.
Khan is a finisher, a category of players who are off the rarest breed. The players of his ilk fetch huge numbers in the auction. His last-ball heroics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is still fresh in people’s minds. The way he scores in the death overs reminds cricket lovers of MS Dhoni. If that is the level of comparison, expect Khan to break the ceiling in the mega auctions. He might become the first uncapped player to cross the 10 crores mark in the mega auctions.
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