The IPL 2023 auction concluded on December 23, and the teams left no stone abandoned in their pursuit of top-tier players. The showpiece event saw the likes of Sam Curran (INR 18.5 crore) and Ben Stokes (INR 16.25 crore) receive large sums of money.
Teams were also wise enough to bring in some experienced T20 talents at a modest fee. In stolen transactions, Punjab Kings signed Sikandar Raza for INR 50 lakh and Kolkata Knight Riders signed Shakib Al Hasan for INR 1.5 crore. Certain auction techniques, on the other hand, raised a lot of questions and seemed to be errors.
Here are five mistakes committed by franchisees during the IPL 2023 auction.
Number 1. Delhi Capitals splurge INR 5.5 Crore on Mukesh Kumar
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Mukesh Kumar has been a steady performer on the home circuit in India. The 29-year-old has 123 wickets at an average of 21.49 in 33 first-class matches. He’s also done well in the shortest format, with 25 scalps in 23 encounters at an economy of 7.20.
The Delhi Capitals were impressed with the Bengal pacer and went all-in to sign him during the IPL 2023 auction. Mukesh was eventually signed by DC for INR 5.5 crore. Though the ace bowler has been great in domestic cricket, one can ask if spending such a large cash for the seamer was a prudent option.
Notably, Mukesh has yet to play an international match and has yet to appear in the IPL. Furthermore, Khaleel Ahmed, Chetan Sakariya, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti were already outstanding Indian pacers for the Delhi franchise. As a result, they would have been OK even if he had not been chosen.
Number 2. Shivam Mavi to Gujarat Titans for a whopping INR 6 Crores
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Shivam Mavi has a track record of success on the Indian domestic circuit. He has appeared in 36 List-A games and has taken 59 wickets at an economy of 4.85. The 24-year-old lit up the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 with his remarkable exploits, taking 14 wickets in seven games at a 4.15 economy rate. The ace bowler has also shown his international prowess, claiming a brilliant four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in his T20I debut.
Mavi was in excellent form leading up to the IPL 2023 auction, thus the Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals engaged in a bidding war to sign him. Finally, Gujarat outbid Rajasthan for the Uttar Pradesh pacer, paying INR 6 crore.
Mavi has not fared well in the lucrative T20 event. He has 30 wickets in 32 outings with an economy of 8.71 runs per match. In addition, the right-arm bowler struggled in the last IPL, taking just five wickets in six matches while giving runs at an alarming average of 10.32. Given Mavi’s lack of consistency in the IPL in prior years, GT may have overspent on him.
Number 3. Harry Brook to Sunrisers Hyderabad for an astounding INR 13.25 Crores
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Harry Brook is a rising star in the T20 world. His aggressive approach to batting has made him a feared opponent and allowed him to score runs with ease. In 99 T20 games, he’s amassed 2432 runs at a strike rate of 148.38.
The 23-year-old has also made a splash on the international stage, playing 20 T20Is and hitting 372 runs with a strike rate of 137.77. He recently proved his batting skills in the Test series against Pakistan, scoring 468 runs in three games. This led to Sunrisers Hyderabad paying a high price of INR 13.25 crore to secure his services.
However, Brook only brings one skill to the table and lacks experience in high-pressure situations, having only played 24 games for England across all formats. The large sum spent on him could have been used to acquire more versatile cricketers to improve the team balance.
Number 4. Nicholas Pooran to the Lucknow Super Giants for INR 16 Crores
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Nicholas Pooran is a power-hitting batsman known for his impressive performances in T20 leagues globally. He has played in 256 games, scoring 4942 runs with a strike rate of 141.15. His contributions in the cash-rich league are particularly noteworthy, with 912 runs in 47 games and a strike rate of 151.24.
When Lucknow Super Giants released Evin Lewis prior to the IPL 2023 auction, they saw Pooran as the ideal replacement. They went after the wicketkeeper-batsman and secured him for a whopping INR 16 crore.
However, Pooran has not been in top form lately in the T20 circuit. In the Caribbean Premier League 2022, he scored only 108 runs in 10 games with a strike rate of 117.39 and had a lackluster performance in the T20 World Cup 2022, where he scored 25 runs in three games with a strike rate of 86.20. Given Pooran’s recent struggles, it may not have been the wisest decision for the Lucknow franchise to invest such a high amount on him.
Number 5. Cameron Green to Mumbai Indians for a record fee of INR 17.5 Crores
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Cameron Green is regarded as one of Australia’s most promising young cricketers. The 23-year-old has appeared in 13 One-Day Internationals and scored 290 runs with a strike rate of 90.34. On the bowling department, he has 11 wickets at a 5.03 economy rate. In T20Is, the ace all-rounder has hit 139 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 173.75 while also taking five wickets.
Green has showed a lot of potential in the international arena, and several organisations are anticipated to bid for him in the IPL 2023 auction. But few could have predicted what happened next. The Mumbai Indians paid an absurd price of INR 17.5 crore to recruit the Australian cricketer in order to replace the team’s all-round vacuum.
Green is a newcomer to the T20 circuit, having played just 21 games in the shortest format, eight of which were international matches. In addition, he has yet to appear in the Indian Premier League. As a result, investing such a large price to choose the Australian all-rounder may not be a wise decision.
