IPL 2022 Auction: Five Indian Bowlers To Watch Out For In The Mega Auction

Indian bowlers will attract major bids in the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auction. The BCCI finalised a list of 590 players who will be a part of the mega auction. There are 370 Indian players and 270 overseas players on that list who will go under the hammer. The auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12-13. 

So far, the 10 franchises have retained a total of 33 players in their squad. Moreover, the list consists of 228 capped players and 355 uncapped players. Australia has the most 47 players followed by West Indies with 34 players and South Africa with 33 players.

Indian bowlers are an asset to any team. Several good Indian bowlers have come through the IPL. Many of them had to be released by their previous franchises due to strict retention rules. With this being the last of the mega auctions, the franchise will look to rope in the best Indian bowlers in their team.  In this article, we take a look at five Indian bowlers to watch out for in the IPL 2022 mega auction. 

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IPL 2022 Auction: Five Indian Bowlers To Watch Out For In The Mega Auction

Mohammed Shami

The list starts with Mohammed Shami who is an artist of a bowler. He bowls better with the red ball than the white ball but certainly can attract a lot of bidding at the mega auction. He last played for Punjab Kings picking up 58 wickets in 40 games for the franchise. 

For franchises looking at a genuine Indian pace option, Shami can just be the perfect bowler. He now has plenty of experience in playing across formats for India and can be an asset for any team going forward.

Yuzvendra Chahal 

Chahal was not retained by RCB, despite picking up the most wickets for the franchise. He picked up 139 wickets in 114 games for Banglore at a strike rate of 17.6 and an economy below eight. He is very much now an established bowler in white-ball cricket across formats in international cricket. There are not many talented Indian leg-spinners available in the mega auction which might make the franchises start a bidding war on Chahal.

Shardul Thakur 

Thakur’s stocks as an all-rounder have risen rapidly given his recent performances in international cricket. He has a golden arm and is adept at breaking partnerships. With the bat, he can score crucial runs for his team which was evident in the recent ODI series against South Africa.

A complete package of a cricketer, Shardul Thakur would be a necessity for many franchises. Going by his recent form, he took 21 wickets for CSK in IPL 2021 which was the fourth-highest for the season. 

Ravichandran Ashwin 

Ashwin is a proven performer in the IPL. While it is for CSK, Punjab Kings or Delhi Capitals, The veteran Indian off-spinner has performed for all the franchises. With his experience in international cricket across formats, Ashwin might end up being the most expensive Indian bowler at the IPL 2022 mega auction. 

Teams might also look at him as a potential captain. A few franchises are on the lookout for a good leader and Ashwin might fit the bill. He has led Punjab Kings in IPL 2018 and 2019. 

Harshal Patel 

Harshal Patel ended with 32 wickets in IPL 2021 and equalled Dwayne Bravo’s record of taking the most wickets in a single season. Harshal’s IPL career has has two different stages almost. However, it is in IPL 2021 that he became a wicket-taking machine almost for Royal Challengers Bangalore. That paved the path to his international debut for India as well. 

His change-ups and variations were almost impossible to pick for most batsmen and that is something the franchises will have in mind when they bid for him.

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