An exciting start

 Thrilling, pulsating, heart-stopping...

It lived up to the expectations. It was thrilling, it was pulsating, it had its heart stopping moments, it had its fun moments. If the IPL Auction was anything to go by, we are sure in for a roller coaster IPL2022.

Ishan Kishan, Deepak Chahar, Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan and Prasidh Krishna struck jackpot - a reflection of their elevation from IPL glitter to the national colors while on the foreign players front exciting prospects breached the 10cr mark.

Seasoned campaigners spanning across nationalities found bidders who did not hesitate to go the distance when required. The two new teams that were added this year performed just like any other team at the auction and did not seem ruffled - may be due to the fact that they had IPL experienced people on the board. 

Compare the 2022 auction to the 2008 auction and you can see a marked difference. Back then, the focus was on marquee additions. I remember an incredibly start-studded Deccan Chargers that looked like world beaters on paper. 14 seasons later, the franchises have grown matured. The chase is not for stars but for accelerators that can push the team's stock both on the field and off the field.

While Chennai Super Kings decided to bring back almost the entirety of the "family" that won the title last year, Sunrisers Hyderabad went in the with strategy to blood youth. Kolkata Knight Riders who have always been consistently shrewd at the auctions, cashed in again with their early bird approach. And for once, Royal Challengers Bangalore invested equally in all areas instead of loading up the team with batsmen. Delhi Capitals were focused on accumulating Indian players and Rajasthan Royals were bent on building a team that would compliment Sanju Samson and Jos Butler. Mumbai Indians only had Ishan on their minds and went for broke for him - once again a family reunion strategy. Punjab Kings seemed like going for everyone but did end up with a reasonable team while newcomers Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans had done enough homework with the staff they had at their disposal.

As if the drama of the auctions wasn't enough, auctioneer Hugh Edmeades had a bout of illness that kept everyone anxious for a few hours. Kudos to Charu Sharma for taking the baton on blindly and ensuring a smooth auction. Hugh did bring cheers back when he came back on later on the second day to wrap up proceedings. As the saying goes, all is well that ends well.