IPL 2022: Five cricketers who could get record price in the mega auction

1. KL Rahul

Rahul was released by the Punjab Kings and he has been linked heavily with the Lucknow franchise as their potential captain. But imagine a scene where the deal does not come off and Rahul in the auction pool, the Karnataka batsman then can fetch some grand money. He was one of the top scorers of IPL 2021 and has also shown some maturity as captain.

2. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas and Delhi Capitals parted ways ahead of the mega auction. Unlike KL Rahul, he has not been linked openly with any franchise, though there have been some feelers from Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders camps. So, if he is in the pool then these two franchises could go all the way to secure his contract. Shreyas is a solid presence in the middle-order and carries a mature head on his shoulder as showed while leading the Capitals in IPL 2020.

3. Rashid Khan

Perhaps, no other player is in more demand than Rashid in T20s at the moment. His leg-spin is water tight in any stage of the game and gets some important wickets. The Afghan star, who was relieved by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, can also contribute some quick runs down the order and is a wonderful fielder too. If he is back in the auction pool, then franchises will have a scramble for Rashid and would not mind spending a record amount to seal his services for a three-year period.

4. David Warner

Like Rashid Khan, Sunrisers Hyderabad off-loaded David Warner too ahead of the auction. He has been their lone IPL title winning captain and batting mainstay for several seasons. But in the IPL 2021, the relation got soured after he was stripped of captaincy and was not even included in the 12. It was certain that SRH would not retain the Australian left-hander. But in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Warner buried a few ghosts and played a pivotal role in Australia winning their maiden T20 World Cup. It might have increased his stokes in the auction and more than one franchise will be keen to acquire Warner and even possibly for a leadership role.

5. Shahrukh Khan

This is a wildcard entry. Shahrukh Khan was released by Punjab Kings ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. But before that the Tamil Nadu right-hander showed his skill and mindset when he smashed a last-ball six to power his side to a win over Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. It helped TN to defend their title. Shah Rukh could get some big price in the auction especially from a team like Rajasthan Royals or Sunrisers Hyderabad who does not have a solid Indian name in their batting line-up.