The IPL 2022 mega auction has so far seen franchises spending big money on Indian and overseas talent that's up for grabs in the two-day event at Bengaluru. As many as 600 players will go under the hammer on both Saturday and Sunday. As expected, Shreyas Iyer, who was among the top Indian picks, went to Kolkata Knight Riders for a hefty sum of ₹12.25 crore.
Foreign picks also created a big buzz at the event. Delhi Capitals added a familiar face to their team after they picked up David Warner by splurging ₹6.25 crore on him. The Australian opener was snapped up by the Delhi-based outfit following a bidding war with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
A World Cup winner who also has the experience of leading in the IPL, Warner will bolster Delhi's opening mix alongside Prithvi Shaw. Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal spoke about Warner's return to his old franchise, saying the southpaw will steer them to "explosive" starts with Shaw. The young opening batter has already been retained by Delhi for ₹7.5 crore.
The 35-year-old Warner captained SunRisers Hyderabad to their maiden title win back in 2016. He led the Hyderabad-based outfit in the first six games of the season before being sacked from captaincy for leading them to just one win. The star opener was replaced by Kane Williamson as the captain of the side.
{{/usCountry}}The 35-year-old Warner captained SunRisers Hyderabad to their maiden title win back in 2016. He led the Hyderabad-based outfit in the first six games of the season before being sacked from captaincy for leading them to just one win. The star opener was replaced by Kane Williamson as the captain of the side.
{{/usCountry}}"I can’t believe we got such a legend at ₹6.50 Crore. With Prithvi (Shaw) and him opening the batting, it is going to be an explosive start to every Delhi Capitals innings," said Jindal in a video shared by the franchise on Twitter.
“It was really strange, we thought the price would go up, there was a lot of tactical stuff going on for the other teams and David Warner, the guy who won the World Cup for Australia is back in Delhi," he further added.
Earlier in the auction, India opener Shikhar Dhawan was acquired by Punjab Kings for ₹8.25 crore. Seasoned tweaker Ravichandran Ashwin was bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹5 crore. Australia Test captain Pat Cummins was taken by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹7.25 crore.
South Africa batter Faf du Plessis was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for ₹7 crore. Newbies Lucknow Super Giants picked up Quinton de Kock for ₹6.75 crore.