The IPL 2023 auction has concluded in Kochi. The dust has settled. It was an exciting day for the fans and the franchises who rebuilt and strengthened their squads in the IPL 2023 auction after taking learning from the IPL 2022.
The IPL 2023 will kick off on March 31st of April 1st next year.
Punjab Kings shattered all IPL records by making Sam Curran the most expensive IPL player in the history of the tournament, splashing 18.5 crore on the 24-year-old England all-rounder. Cameron Green became the second-most expensive player in the IPL as the Mumbai Indians splurged 17.5 crore on him, while CSK got England Test captain Ben Stokes for 16 crore; Nicholas Pooran was bought by Lucknow for 16 crore too.
While the big-money signings will hog the headlines for now, there were some other steals made by the franchises that might make a difference in the actual tournament. Some franchises bought their needed players for the holes to fill and strengthen their XI from last season and, luckily for them, they were able to do without spending much.
Here are the 3 top steals of the IPL 2023 auction:
Kane Williamson – 2 crore by Gujarat Titans
The Gujarat Titans had one hole to fill, and they have filled it with perhaps the possible option available in the IPL 2023 auction pool: Kane Williamson. Although the New Zealand captain and former SRH captain has come under criticism for his strike rate in the past year, runs have come at a decent amount from Williamson’s bat.
What GT will ideally want from Williamson is to what he does so well: anchor from number 3. This will allow Pandya to come at 4 instead of 3 as it was last season.
At 2 crore, it is a steal for Titans who wanted Williamson; other franchises could have raised some more bids and yet Gujarat would have spent more on Williamson happily.
Jhye Richardson – 1.5 crore by Mumbai Indians
For those of you who haven’t been following the BBL, fast bowler Jhye Richardson has taken 8 wickets in 3 matches. It is not the wicket tally that has caught our eye, but it his different lengths and variations that has been terrific.
Richardson can swing the new ball, both into and away from the right-hander, can hit the deck hard in the middle-overs phase; he already had a lethal yorker, and now he has developed a deceptive slower full ball. This makes him a complete package and he might even start ahead of Jason Behrendorff for MI and would make a seriously intimidating fast bowling trio with Archer and Bumrah.
The MI owners and staff were cock-a-hoop after bagging Jhye for his base price of 1.5 crore, for they know they have come out with a steal.
Jason Holder – 5.75 crore by Rajasthan Royals
The runner-ups of IPL 2023 have found the bridge they lacked last season when Riyan Parag was and is still on his learning curve as an all-rounder. Now, in Jason Holder, they have got a proper overseas all-rounder having released Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rassie van der Dussen, and James Neesham.
Now, RR can actually play Holder either in place of Hetmyer or Obed McCoy most likely and still remain with five proper bowling options. Holder, who had previously been known for his swing bowling, has, in the past two years, developed brilliant slower variations.
In an IPL 2023 auction where three overseas all-rounders from the famed countries – Stokes, Curran, and Green – eked out north of 16 crore each, RR getting Holder for less than 6 crores can be considered a steal.
