IPL 2021: Ranking all 8 teams based on their picks in the auction

Having a good auction is often the difference between qualifying for the playoffs and getting knocked out. We have seen plenty of evidence for that in recent years, and that has also been the key reason behind the dominance of Mumbai Indians. The auction for the upcoming season took place on the 18th of February and several players earned themselves IPL contracts.

It was the first time 4 players earned Rs. 14 crores or more in a single auction as the likes of Chris Morris, Kyle Jamieson, Glenn Maxwell, and Jhye Richardson managed to hit the jackpot. Krishnappa Gowtham also managed to earn a massive deal as he was sold for a record of Rs. 9.25 crore to the Chennai Super Kings and became the most expensive uncapped player of all time.

More than 145 crores were spent on 57 players by all the franchises depending on what they needed to improve their squads. However, not all teams were equally good as some teams couldn’t exactly get what they needed and some might have overspent on their targets.

On that note, here’s a look at how the teams performed during the IPL auction:

8. Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals enjoyed their best ever season last year when they qualified for their first-ever final. However, they couldn’t defeat the Mumbai Indians in the finals and had to remain content with a 2nd placed finish. Their squad had most bases covered before the auction and they only needed a few squad players to plug the gaps ahead of the new season.

They had a purse of Rs. 12.8 crore before the auction began. With uncertainty over the availability of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje for the first few games, they needed a backup overseas quickly. They signed Tom Curran for Rs. 5.25 crore. Curran hasn’t been particularly great in the IPL and his economy rate of over 11 after 10 games suggests the same. There were better and cheaper options available and they might have overpaid for Curran.

Steve Smith was their most high-profile signing at Rs.2.2 crore, but they didn’t really need him given that they already had Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer to perform the role of an anchor. Sam Billings and Umesh Yadav were decent squad picks. Purchasing Vishnu Vinod as the backup Indian wicket-keeper was a smart move, but all in all, the franchise could have done a lot better.