The IPL 2024 auction happened with a lot of excitement and record-breaking moments on December 19, in Dubai. Two Australian fast bowlers, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, made history by getting sold for more than Rs 20 crore each, the first time this happened in the auction.
While the auction was full of big names and huge amounts of money, some lesser-known players turned out to be great finds, bought for much less than they might be worth in the future. These smart buys, made by clever teams and scouts, are what make championship-winning teams strong.
Let’s move past the flashy bidding and focus on the smartest and most economical purchases in the IPL 2024 auction.
Here’s the list of 5 Steal deals in IPL 2024 Auction:
1. Azmatullah Omarzai
The Afghanistan player did really well in the recent ODI World Cup 2023, both in batting and bowling. Now, he’s joining Gujarat Titans for just INR 50 lakh, which is a great deal. The team needed someone to fill in for Hardik Pandya, who went back to MI before IPL 2024.
Hardik Pandya was a big part of Titans winning their first championship. He was great at batting, bowling, and leading the team. Finding someone to take his place wasn’t easy, but Omarzai might just be the guy. He’s young and talented, and he could bring something new to the team.
2. Gerald Coetzee
Mumbai Indians bought South African fast-bowler Gerald Coetzee for only INR 5 crores. Many people thought he would cost a lot more, but Mumbai Indians got him for a good price. He’s a fast bowler who can bowl at 145 kph and is also a useful batter.
Coetzee is known for his speed, tricky variations, and making the ball bounce awkwardly off the pitch, which makes it hard for batsmen to play. He’s excited to play alongside Jasprit Bumrah for Mumbai Indians, which will be a tough challenge for their opponents
3. Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga is a really good spinner in cricket. He used to play for a team called RCB, but they let him go because he often couldn’t play due to injuries. Then another team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, bought him for less money during an auction.
Even though Hasaranga was injured for most of 2023, when he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad, he made their spin bowling stronger. Before, they only had one good spinner named Washington Sundar. But now, with both Sundar and Hasaranga, Sunrisers Hyderabad has a better chance of winning because they have two skilled bowlers who can trick the batters with their different ways of bowling.
4. Rachin Ravindra
In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rachin Ravindra surprised everyone by scoring more than 578 runs, including 3 centuries, and also did well bowling. People thought he’d be expensive in the 2024 IPL auction, but he kept his price low to get picked and have a chance in the IPL.
Chennai Super Kings got Ravindra for only INR 1.80 crores. He joins other New Zealand cricketers in their team. This shows that CSK is moving forward and preparing for the future, especially after losing players like Moeen Ali.
5. Travis Head
Travis Head was sold to SRH for 6.80 crores in the IPL 2024 auction. Some might wonder how he could still be a great deal for the team. Well, Head is a versatile player. He was the best player in the World Cup 2023 semifinal and final for Australia. He’s not just a good batsman but also a decent off-spin bowler and wicketkeeper.
Even though many teams wanted to buy him in the IPL auction, SRH got him for less than 10 crores. He’s even considered as a potential captain for SRH because he’s been named as Australia’s Test co-vice-captain and does well in white-ball cricket too.
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