IPL 2020: 5 costliest buys at the auction and how they'll improve their respective franchises

The IPL Auction 2020 just culminated a while ago in Kolkata and it delivered the right dosage of shock, exhilaration and drama that it had promised.

We saw three players breach the ₹10 crore mark and also witnessed uncapped Indians being sold for exorbitant amounts, with all of the franchises committed to making smart investments with an eye on the future.

Like every year, this instalment of the auction also saw some breath-taking bidding wars take place between the franchises.

From the Kolkata Knight Riders’ late ambush to acquire Pat Cummins to the surprising battle between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings for the signature of Aussie all-rounder Nathan Coulter-Nile, there were some standout moments in today’s auction which made it a thoroughly enjoyable affair.

The auction delivered it’s fair share of shocks as well, and perhaps the biggest of them all was the lack of competition Kings XI Punjab faced for New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who was snapped up by them at his base price of ₹50 lakhs.

In this article, we recap how things went down when the franchises engaged in bidding wars for the five players who ended up being the costliest purchases of the auction, and how these stars can potentially help their respective sides in the upcoming edition of the IPL.

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#1 Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins became the second-most-expensive acquisition in IPL history.

Pat Cummins was probably the most sought-after bowler coming into the auction, and it was expected that the Australian would pique the interest of a number of franchises and go for a handsome amount.

What ensued once Cummins’ name went under the hammer encapsulated all the thrill associated with the auctions and proved why this is such a watchable and enjoyable event.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore went straight in with an opening bid and were immediately joined by the Delhi Capitals. The two teams then engaged in a fierce bidding war and with either team refusing to back down, his price skyrocketed to ₹5.75 crores in no time whatsoever.

A lot of deliberation and debate within the camps followed and the bid for the Australian reached ₹10 crores. Soon enough, Kolkata Knight Riders, who were nowhere in the picture so far, popped and entered the battle to secure the signature of Cummins with a ₹15 crore bid.

RCB were finally prized out and KKR managed to snap the 26-year-old up for ₹15.5 crores in breath-taking fashion. In the process, Cummins became the most expensive overseas player to be sold at the auction and the second most expensive player ever to be sold, after Yuvraj Singh.

Cummins’ addition makes a whole lot of sense for KKR as he can spearhead their rather inexperienced and often expensive pace bowling lineup alongside Lockie Ferguson. Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi missed last season through injury, while Prasidh Krishna didn’t enjoy the best of times last term too, as he managed to only pick up four wickets at an economy of 9.34 runs per over.

The Australian’s arrival provides KKR with a pillar around which they can mould the rest of their youthful pace attack.

#2 Glenn Maxwell

Maxwell returns to Punjab for the 2020 edition of the IPL.

The details on Glenn Maxwell’s participation in the 2020 edition of the IPL were fuzzy initially, as the swashbuckling Australian all-rounder had taken an indefinite break from the sport due to mental health issues.

However, once his availability in the auction pool was confirmed at a base price of ₹2 crores, it became pretty obvious that Maxwell will have many suitors and that his price could breach the ₹10 crore mark, courtesy the role he can carry out with brutal efficiency and his proven pedigree in the IPL. And, this is exactly what happened earlier in Kolkata today.

Kings XI Punjab started the bidding for the 31-year-old and Delhi Capitals joined them soon after. What followed was a superb bidding war which was piquant and incredibly thrilling to watch. There was a lot of deliberation when the bidding reached ₹8.50 crores, but Delhi and Punjab both didn’t back down and were determined to land their man.

The wait to the crescendo was worth it, with Delhi finally admitting defeat when the bidding reached ₹10.75 crores, and Maxwell was sold to Punjab.

The Australian’s purchase makes a lot of sense, especially when you consider the fact that Punjab let go off David Miller. This leaves their middle-order pretty light in terms of firepower with the exception of Nicholas Pooran.

Maxwell’s arrival can also enable Punjab to consider the possibility of opening with the explosive Pooran, in case Chris Gayle underperforms or is ruled out due to an injury.

#3 Chris Morris

Chris Morris

The Delhi Capitals releasing Chris Morris was a decision that surprised many. Granted, the South African all-rounder has gotten on in terms of age and has seen his pace drop a bit as well, but that doesn’t take away from the acumen and ability that he’s displayed umpteen times on the pitch to great effect.

As soon as Morris’ name came out of the hat for a base price of ₹1.5 crores, Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore engaged in a bidding war.

Soon enough, the Royals backed out and the attention was focused on Punjab and Bangalore. A fierce bidding battle ensued before a surprising turn of events took place.

Mumbai Indians entered the fray, in what looked like an attempt to make RCB overpay for their target, backed out as soon as the bid for the player reached ₹10 crores, and RCB got their man.

Morris will be a welcome addition to the RCB setup, as they were often seeing struggling in the death overs, leaking runs and letting matches slip out of their grasp. He’ll also add some much-needed steel to their batting lineup coming lower down the order.

The South African is no stranger to high-pressure situations and his ability to hit the ball out of the park on a relatively smaller ground like the Chinnaswamy can be a huge asset for Virat Kohli’s side.

#4 Sheldon Cottrell

Cottrell's signature celebration.

West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell was another player who was expected to be a popular choice among the franchises, and the bidding war between the Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Capitals vindicated many people’s pre-auction belief.

Cottrell’s base price was ₹50 lakh, and he ended up being sold for 17 times more than that at ₹8.5 crores to the Kings XI after an intense bidding war.

Known for his fiery spells in the powerplay overs, the left-arm seamer is expected to add some much-needed strength to Punjab’s lacklustre bowling attack, and his knack of picking up crucial wickets will be hugely beneficial for the Kings XI.

Cottrell’s inclusion in the starting eleven will take some pressure off Mohammed Shami, who struggled to pick wickets last season and was pretty poor in the death overs.

The 30-year-old has never played in the IPL before, but his numbers in T20’s are mighty impressive – he’s picked up 117 wickets in 83 games at an economy of 7.46 runs per over.

#5 Nathan Coulter-Nile

Nathan Coulter-Nile

Definitely a surprise inclusion in this list, Nathan Coulter-Nile was the fifth most-expensive purchase at the auction and was sold to the Mumbai Indians for ₹8 crores. With a base price of ₹1 crore, Coulter-Nile immediately attracted the interest of last season’s finalists, the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings.

Both the franchises went all guns blazing in their pursuit of the 32-year-old, and after a lot of deliberation, Chennai backed out and Mumbai got their man for a whopping amount of ₹8 crores.

Although substantially more expensive than what they might have liked, Coulter-Nile’s inclusion in the squad gives Mumbai a lot of options.

His all-round ability can allow Mumbai to go into games with as many as four all-rounders, namely Kieron Pollard, Hardik and Krunal Pandya, and Coulter-Nile himself, and he’s an extremely good option when entrusted to bowl as well (although he tends to be a bit too expensive at times).

Additionally, Coulter-Nile’s athleticism in the field is an added bonus as well. Although, most of the scepticism regarding this purchase has come because of the Australian’s worrying injury record.

Coulter-Nile was a part of RCB’s squad last season but had to return home without playing a single game for the franchise due to a stiff back. If he manages to keep himself fit, he can prove to be an extremely shrewd purchase. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen though.