Indian Premier League: Mini-auction: The five best bargains

That meant quite a few players going for huge money, which is why the IPL record signing for an auction buy was twice breached and once equalled. 

But it also saw a few teams go bargain shopping, which meant many top players were picked up for their base price. 

Here we look at the top five bargain buys in the 2023 IPL mini-auction. 

Litton Das – Kolkata Knight Riders surprised everyone by going for the Bangladesh wicketkeeper and opening batsman in the accelerated round, but his signing on deeper analysis makes plenty of sense. For one, he only cost the team Rs—50 lakhs, which is a steal for someone of Litton’s quality. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Partnership we wait to see in 💜&amp;💛<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPLAuction</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmiKKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmiKKR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GalaxyOfKnights?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GalaxyOfKnights</a> <a href="https://t.co/yz07MgWgjT">pic.twitter.com/yz07MgWgjT</a></p>&mdash; KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders/status/1606311668899880963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For the other, he will be a like-for-like swap for Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who they had acquired before the auction via player trade from Gujarat Titans. Both are big-hitting openers who can keep wickets, meaning Litton can prove a valuable backup for the Afghanistan player. 

Narayan Jagadeesan – Sticking with the Kolkata Knight Riders, they got arguably the steal of the Indian domestic circuit when they signed attacking Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Jagadeesan for a measly Rs. 90 lakhs, which is once again an absolute steal for the side. 

For one, Jagadeesan had a terrific time in the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this year when he scored over 800 runs for Tamil Nadu. For the other, he provides a quality option up top or in the middle, depending on where he is used and is also helpful behind the stumps—all in all, he is an excellent buy for KKR. 

Phil Salt – Sticking to wicketkeepers, but this time to someone a lot younger, England’s Salt has been one of the top performers this year. An attacking batter who is not afraid to for big shots as often as possible, he’s been a vital member of the England side that dominated white ball cricket in 2022. 

Moreover, the Delhi Capitals got him at his base price of Rs. two crore, which is a fantastic piece of business, given many expected he would fetch way more than that in the auction process. All in all, it represents a good signing and value for money for the Capitals. 

Adil Rashid – Another top English performer, Rashid, was expected to fetch big money when he entered this year’s auction, given his exploits in the T20 World Cup and his consistent performances for the English cricket team in the past few years. 

Yet while he was sold, he was taken at his base price by Sunrisers Hyderabad, which is mind-boggling. He is a proven wicket-taker at the international level and will significantly strengthen SRH’s bowling, and the fact that they got him for just Rs. two crore is brilliant business. 

David Wiese – We started the list with a KKR player, so it’s only fitting we end it with one. Wiese is a reputed player with plenty of experience, yet he hasn’t found much luck in the IPL besides a short stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. But that has now changed, as KKR signed him up. 

The move sees them add an experienced all-rounder who’s found success in leagues worldwide as a backup to Andre Russell – for just Rs. one crore. He is also the first Namibian international to play in the IPL, meaning KKR’s latest signing also comes with some history-making.