'RCB got him cheaply but they didn't use him': Ex-India opener names 'out-of-the-box' pick for IPL 2022 mega auction

The former India opener said that he wasn't “surprised” that RCB didn't use the player despite getting him cheaply.

The mega auction ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League takes place on February 12-13. The event this year has added significance due to the arrival of two new teams from Lucknow (Super Giants) and Ahmedabad in the tournament. A total of 590 players made the final list for the mega auction, which will be held in Bengaluru.

File photo of RCB players in action during IPL 2021.(IPL)

As the date nears for the mega auction, the discussions over potential signings have also increased. On his official YouTube account, former India opener Aakash Chopra listed five picks for who he believes would be the “most expensive overseas bowlers” in the auction. While Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult – both marquee players – occupy the top-2 spots, Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga is Chopra's third choice.

The Sri Lankan spinner had represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2021 edition but played only two games before being released ahead of the playoffs. Hasaranga, who had ended 2021 as the joint-highest wicket-taker in T20Is (alongside South Africa's Tabraiz Shamsi), has set his base price at ₹1 crore. 

“This is an out-of-the-box pick. If I was sitting at the auction table, I would go for Wanindu Hasaranga. He is a brilliant player of spin, he's your four-over bank. He would come in the middle and bowl four overs. He can even bowl with the new ball. RCB got him cheaply but they didn't use him. But RCB does that, so I'm not surprised or perturbed. But he should play,” said Chopra.

“Franchises should spend on him. For ₹4-5 crores, he would be a good overseas option. He's a bowler, a batter, a fielder. He's got the temperament to succeed in T20 cricket. I've no doubt in mind that if someone has strategized the auction and Hasaranga's name comes at the right time, there should be money spent on him.”

Chopra also named Sri Lanka's Dushmantha Chameera as another handy auction pick, calling him an “underrated” player. 

“Dushmantha Chameera is another player. He's underrated. I don't know if it's because he plays for Sri Lanka. Half of the coaches here are Australian so they tend to go for their own players like Riley Meredith, Jhye Richardson, Kyle Jamieson etc. Players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera aren't seen as exciting propsects which is sad,” said Chopra.