The IPL 2022 auction is just weeks away. Now that the Retention Day is behind us, teams are shortlisting the best players and planning to make their move on Auction Day in January. Here is an in-depth breakdown of the IPL 2022 Free Agency. Track these batsmen and bowlers as they will have a big impact on your betting.
Batsmen
Since the T20 format is essentially batting-centric, let’s start off with the top-5 batsmen you need to keep an eye on in January’s IPL 2022 auction.
KL Rahul
Age: 29 | Nationality: Indian
IPL 2021 Stats: 626 Runs, 6 50s, 62.60 Average (13 Games)
Potential Suitors: Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow, Ahmedabad
Kl Rahul is at the very peak of his career as a batsman. After yet another successful season on a personal level, he asked the Punjab Kings to release him ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction. KL Rahul wants to win and he will be looking to join a team with similar aspirations. Expect another 600+ runs from him in his IPL 2022 campaign.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: KL Rahul is probably the best Indian batsman after Virat Kohli. He’ll probably end up with a championship-caliber team.
Shikhar Dhawan
Age: 36 | Nationality: Indian
IPL 2021 Stats: 587 Runs, 3 50s, 39.13 Average (16 Games)
Potential Suitors: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders
While Shikhar Dhawan is no longer a long-term investment, he has been one of the most stable IPL performers in recent years. The Delhi Capitals decided to shake things up after two successive finals losses and he paid the price. Expect him to land in a playoff contender and make an immediate impact in IPL 2022.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: Shikhar Dhawan was one of the biggest surprises of the recent Retention Day. Teams will be eager to land him.
Devdutt Padikkal
Age: 21 | Nationality: Indian
IPL 2021 Stats: 411 Runs, 1 100, 1 50, 31.61 Average (14 Games)
Potential Suitors: Punjab Kings, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Chennai Super Kings
Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t retain Devdutt Paddikal, a move that can prove to be costly in the future. The left-handed prodigy is seen by many as the future of Indian cricket and teams will be eager to tap into his potential. An RCB return looks unlikely, but he can definitely suit multiple teams in the upcoming auction.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: Will Punjab Kings land the Bangalore starlet and allow him to shine? How about Chennai pairing him with Gaikwad?
David Warner
Age: 35 | Nationality: Australian
IPL 2021 Stats: 195 Runs, 2 50s, 24.37 Average (8 Games)
Potential Suitors: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians
David Warner will want to forget his last IPL season with SRH, a team he led to a championship in 2016. But he has silenced all critics by starring in Australia’s recent T20 World Cup success and will enter the IPL 2022 Audition as a very hot commodity. He will be pursued by all teams, but he won’t come cheap.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: With AB De Villiers retiring from all forms of cricket, RCB will be eager to find a replacement. We expect Warner to be the one.
Shreyas Iyer
Age: 26 | Nationality: Indian
IPL 2021 Stats: 175 Runs, 35 Average (8 Games)
Potential Suitors: Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad
Shreyas Iyer was supposed to be the next big thing in Indian cricket a couple of years ago before he suffered a devastating shoulder injury. After many months of rehab, Iyer is still working to rekindle the fire and rediscover that form. He played a decent role with the Capitals last year but is still seen as kind of a gamble.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: The Rajasthan Royals know that Sanju Samson is getting frustrated with the lack of help. Iyer may be the solution.
Bowlers
Now that we have covered the top batsmen you should be tracking, let’s take a closer look at the top-5 bowlers in the IPL 2022 free agency pool.
Kagiso Rabada
Age: 26 | Nationality: South African
IPL 2021 Stats: 15 Wickets, Economy 8.14 (15 Games)
Potential Suitors: Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Kagiso Rabada is an electrifying seamer that can single-handedly win games for his teams, especially in the T20 format. Delhi Capitals released him for reasons we may never know. He’s young, energetic and he is bold. Expect teams to bid for him passionately and not hesitate to pay above 10 crores. Yes, he’s that good.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: We expect Rabada to land in a situation where the team is looking at the next 5 years and is ready to hand him the keys.
Yuzvendra “Yuzi” Chahal
Age: 31 | Nationality: Indian
IPL 2021 Stats: 18 Wickets, Economy 7.05 (15 Games)
Potential Suitors: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders
While Yuzi is one of the true pure spinners left in the IPL free agency, he’ll be in demand. We don’t think the rebuilding teams will even consider him, but expect Royal Challengers Bangalore to try and bring him back (they even tweeted about this idea). KKR, CSK, and the Mumbai Indians should also be in the mix.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: Chahal is past his peak, but is still a very effective spinner. We expect RCB to try and bring him back at a lowered price.
Harshal Patel
Age: 31 | Nationality: Indian
IPL 2021 Stats: 32 Wickets, Economy 8.14 (15 Games)
Potential Suitors: Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings
Royal Challengers Bangalore released Harshal Patel despite the latter winning the Purple Cap after an impressive IPL 2021 campaign, the main reason probably being his age. Patel was pretty mediocre in his 20s and his improvement came as a surprise to all IPL fans. We have our doubts over his ability to take 30+ wickets again.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: Harshal Patel will be paid handsomely next season and we expect him to land in a team with a win-now mentality.
Rashid Khan
Age: 23 | Nationality: Afghan
IPL 2021 Stats: 18 Wickets, Economy 6.69 (14 Games)
Potential Suitors: Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals
Rashid Khan is one of the most familiar faces in IPL circles, thanks to his bowling performances. The Afghan spinner has been starring for SRH for years, but that’s about to change as the team looks to revamp its squad. Expect the other young teams to invest in this young star as a franchise cornerstone.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: We don’t think the established teams will have the required funds to land Rashid Khan in this auction.
Avesh Khan
Age: 24 | Nationality: Indian
IPL 2021 Stats: 24 Wickets, Economy 7.37 (16 Games)
Potential Suitors: Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals
The Delhi Capitals decided to bet on Axar Patel as their future star, with Avesh Khan becoming one of the biggest Retention Day casualties. This young free agent bowler will be commanding top dollar in the IPL 2022 auction following his recent debut for Team India, with the rebuilding teams giving him extra attention.
Live Casino India Auction Prediction: Eden Gardens has a great pitch for seamers, making KKR a possible landing place. We predict some intense bidding for Khan.
Stay tuned for more updates and content ahead of the 2022 IPL Auction. Also, do follow us on Twitter to stay informed.
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