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, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4354243714606316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Jamieson</a>, 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&#8217;t exactly get what they needed and some might have overspent on their targets.

On that note, here&#8217;s a look at how the teams performed during the IPL auction:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-463697" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Delhi-Capitals-2.jpg" alt="Delhi Capitals" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-463697" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Capitals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Delhi Capitals enjoyed their best ever season last year when they qualified for their first-ever final. However, they couldn&#8217;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&#8217;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&#8217;t really need him given that they already had <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/3rd-class-umpire-twitter-in-disbelief-after-umpires-blunder-in-ajinkya-rahanes-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ajinkya Rahane</a> 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.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-459856" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sunrisers-Hyderabad-6.jpg" alt="Sunrisers Hyderabad" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459856" class="wp-caption-text">Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

SRH didn&#8217;t have a whole lot to do during the auction given that they had retained the majority of their squad. They had just 3 vacant slots including one overseas slot. The team led by David Warner needed an experienced middle-order batsman and would have also wanted an express fast bowler after they released Billy Stanlake.

Their first buy of the day was Jagadeesha Suchith for Rs. 30 lakhs and he will provide them with an additional option in the spin department. They also bought Kedar Jadhav for his base price of Rs. 2 crores after missing out on <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-auction-twitter-goes-crazy-after-rajasthan-royals-shells-out-inr-4-4-crore-for-shivam-dube/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shivam Dube</a> and Krishnappa Gowtham earlier on. Jadhav looked woefully out of touch during the previous campaign and wasn&#8217;t particularly great even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The Sunrisers also bought Mujeeb Ur Rahman for Rs. 1.5 crore, but he might not get a lot of opportunities in the playing XI. Although he is a very good bowler and could provide excellent backup to Rashid Khan, they should have ideally looked to buy an overseas quick who can bowl at speeds exceeding 140 kph given that they don&#8217;t have anyone who can do that at present. However, their rather mediocre auction shouldn&#8217;t have much of an impact on their title chances as these 3 players aren&#8217;t expected to play in a lot of games.

6. Royal Challengers Bangalore

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-457828" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-vs-Kolkata-Knight-Riders-1.jpg" alt="Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-457828" class="wp-caption-text">Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

In spite of qualifying for the playoffs last season, RCB released a lot of players, which surprised quite a few. They had the 3rd largest purse and thus it was quite obvious that they were going to buy a couple of expensive players. They bought Glenn Maxwell for Rs. 14.25 crores as they looked to solidify their batting lineup. He hasn&#8217;t been impressive in the IPL during the last few seasons and thus, spending such a huge amount was questionable.

They will have to play him in the top 3 to get the best out of him, and if their comments about Josh Philippe are anything to go by, that might not be the case. Buying Kyle Jamieson for Rs. 15 crores to replace <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-journey-of-chris-morris-and-his-performance-in-ipl-over-the-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Morris</a> didn&#8217;t make a whole lot of sense as he has played just 38 T20s. Only 3 of those appearances came for New Zealand and he hasn&#8217;t even played in any of the major leagues, and whether he will be the answer to RCB&#8217;s death bowling woes remains to be seen.

Daniel Christian was purchased for a hefty sum of Rs. 4.8 crore and he will most likely slot into their middle order. All their remaining picks were for Rs. 20 lakhs each with Mohammed Azharudeen being the most notable one. With the budget they had, they could have certainly done a lot better and they thus find themselves 6th on the list.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-464247" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Trent-Boult-of-Mumbai-Indians.jpg" alt="Trent Boult of Mumbai Indians" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-464247" class="wp-caption-text">Trent Boult of Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Having successfully defended their title last season, Mumbai Indians didn&#8217;t have much to do at the auction. They needed a few overseas quicks having released Mitchell McClenaghan, James Pattinson, and Nathan Coulter-Nile, and they were able to do that successfully. MI bought Adam Milne and a young South African prospect in the form of Marco Jansen. They also bought back Nathan Coulter-Nile for a cheaper price.

James Neesham was a smart pick at Rs. 50 lakhs and will be an excellent backup for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kieron-pollard-death-hoax-west-indies-star-busy-playing-t10-league-as-fake-video-of-fatal-car-accident-goes-viral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kieron Pollard</a>. He is a pretty good middle-order batsman and can score vital runs if given the chance and his bowling is arguably better than Pollard&#8217;s. Piyush Chawla will add more experience to MI&#8217;s spin attack and will be more than useful for them in the event if Rahul Chahar suffers from a loss of form.

They even picked up Arjun Tendulkar, but he isn&#8217;t expected to play many games in the upcoming season. MI did their homework like they do before every auction and they once again had a good time during the event and have put themselves in contention for the title.

4. Kolkata Knight Riders

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-460430" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kolkata-Knight-Riders-team.jpg" alt="Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460430" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

KKR retained the core of their team from last season and had the joint least budget going into the auction. They had most bases covered and just needed a few backups to increase competition for places in the team. Sunil Narine wasn&#8217;t in great form last season and they needed to buy someone who would provide cover for him if the same happened this season. They bought <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shakib-al-hasan-set-to-miss-sri-lanka-tests-to-play-in-ipl-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shakib Al Hasan</a> for the same reason and given the form he has been in, he might end up starting ahead of Narine.

Buying a backup for Andre Russell was also a priority for them, and they signed Australian allrounder, Ben Cutting for his base price of Rs. 75 lakhs. He can be extremely dangerous with the bat during the death overs and will also bowl 3-4 overs on most days, and is arguably the best possible backup they could have bought.

Harbhajan Singh for 2 crores was a bit surprising as he hasn&#8217;t played any form of competitive cricket since the IPL final in 2019. They also signed Karun Nair as a backup Indian batsman and Sheldon Jackson as the backup Indian wicket-keeper which would allow them to stick with the same combination in case Dinesh Karthik suffers an injury.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-461391" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Chennai-Super-Kings.jpg" alt="Chennai Super Kings" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-461391" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Chennai Super Kings had their worst ever campaign in 2020 as they failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in their history. Despite the fact they had a poor season, they retained the bulk of their squad. They had just one overseas slot available and even that was because Shane Watson had retired.

They didn&#8217;t have a single off-spinner in their squad after releasing Harbhajan Singh and that was their top priority. They bought both Moeen Ali and Krishnappa Gowtham for the same reason. Moeen Ali will not only provide them with off-spin, but he will also contribute heavily with the bat. He can bat anywhere in the top 7 and is just the kind of player <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/former-indian-selector-feels-that-ms-dhoni-would-have-definitely-played-the-t20-world-cup-if-not-for-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> likes.

Even Gowtham is pretty handy with the bat lower down the order and will increase the batting depth, but they might have overpaid for him at Rs. 9.25 crore. CSK also bought Cheteshwar Pujara for Rs. 50 lakhs and he will be a useful backup for the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Suresh Raina. They had a pretty good auction and will be looking forward to putting up a better showing in the 14th edition of the tournament.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-460788" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kings-XI-Punjab-4.jpg" alt="Kings XI Punjab" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460788" class="wp-caption-text">Kings XI Punjab. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

Kings XI Punjab renamed themselves as Punjab Kings just before the auction in a bid to probably change their fortune. They had a large purse of over Rs. 50 crores to strengthen their team, which already had a pretty solid core. PBKS utilized their budget to the fullest and were able to plug most of the gaps in their squad.

They have strengthened their fast bowling significantly by purchasing two of the most highly-rated Australian bowlers in the form of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/felt-like-i-played-a-game-jhye-richardson-opens-up-on-emotions-he-went-through-during-ipl-2021-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jhye Richardson</a> and Riley Meredith. They often struggled to pick up wickets and contain opposition batsmen last season, but with the arrival of those two, they now have one of the best bowling attacks in the league.

The KL Rahul-led team also bought Moises Henriques and Fabian Allen as overseas all-rounders. Shahrukh Khan was picked up for Rs. 5.25 crores he will provide them with an Indian finisher, something that isn&#8217;t easily available in the market. Dawid Malan for 1.5 crores is arguably the biggest steal of the auction as he is the world&#8217;s No.1 ranked T20I batsman. All in all, they have put themselves in an excellent position and given themselves every chance of winning their first-ever trophy.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-460786" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rajasthan-Royals-3.jpg" alt="Rajasthan Royals" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460786" class="wp-caption-text">Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

It was a close call between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in terms of who had the better auction, but the Royals just edged it in this case. They finished at the bottom of the table last season and appointed Sanju Samson as their new captain. Their batting was quite inconsistent and even their bowling looked bleak apart from Jofra Archer, who even won the Most Valuable Player Award.

They bought Chris Morris for a record of Rs. 16.25 crores and have finally managed to secure solid support for Archer. A fast bowling duo of Morris and Archer is the stuff of dreams and could be an absolute nightmare for opposition teams. They even bought Mustafizur Rahman for just Rs. 1 crore as a backup and that was one of the biggest bargains of the auction.

RR picked up Shivam Dube for Rs. 4.4 crores and this move could allow them to potentially open with the English duo of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/some-stadium-this-is-ben-stokes-rishabh-pant-and-hardik-pandya-in-awe-of-motera-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Stokes</a> and Jos Buttler. They also purchased Liam Livingstone as a backup batsman, while Chetan Sakariya and Akad Singh will strengthen their domestic pace attack. Their strongest playing XI could have batting depth till No.10 and as many as 8-9 bowling options, and all this a result of the excellent work they did on the 18th of February.

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, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4354243714606316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Jamieson</a>, 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.
<h3>On that note, here’s a look at how the teams performed during the IPL auction:</h3>
<h3>8. Delhi Capitals</h3>
<figure id="attachment_463697" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-463697" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-463697" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Delhi-Capitals-2.jpg" alt="Delhi Capitals" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-463697" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Capitals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
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 <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/3rd-class-umpire-twitter-in-disbelief-after-umpires-blunder-in-ajinkya-rahanes-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ajinkya Rahane</a> 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.

<h3>7. Sunrisers Hyderabad</h3>
<figure id="attachment_459856" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459856" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-459856" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sunrisers-Hyderabad-6.jpg" alt="Sunrisers Hyderabad" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459856" class="wp-caption-text">Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
SRH didn’t have a whole lot to do during the auction given that they had retained the majority of their squad. They had just 3 vacant slots including one overseas slot. The team led by David Warner needed an experienced middle-order batsman and would have also wanted an express fast bowler after they released Billy Stanlake.
Their first buy of the day was Jagadeesha Suchith for Rs. 30 lakhs and he will provide them with an additional option in the spin department. They also bought Kedar Jadhav for his base price of Rs. 2 crores after missing out on <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-auction-twitter-goes-crazy-after-rajasthan-royals-shells-out-inr-4-4-crore-for-shivam-dube/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shivam Dube</a> and Krishnappa Gowtham earlier on. Jadhav looked woefully out of touch during the previous campaign and wasn’t particularly great even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The Sunrisers also bought Mujeeb Ur Rahman for Rs. 1.5 crore, but he might not get a lot of opportunities in the playing XI. Although he is a very good bowler and could provide excellent backup to Rashid Khan, they should have ideally looked to buy an overseas quick who can bowl at speeds exceeding 140 kph given that they don’t have anyone who can do that at present. However, their rather mediocre auction shouldn’t have much of an impact on their title chances as these 3 players aren’t expected to play in a lot of games.

<h3>6. Royal Challengers Bangalore</h3>
<figure id="attachment_457828" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-457828" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-457828" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-vs-Kolkata-Knight-Riders-1.jpg" alt="Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-457828" class="wp-caption-text">Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
In spite of qualifying for the playoffs last season, RCB released a lot of players, which surprised quite a few. They had the 3rd largest purse and thus it was quite obvious that they were going to buy a couple of expensive players. They bought Glenn Maxwell for Rs. 14.25 crores as they looked to solidify their batting lineup. He hasn’t been impressive in the IPL during the last few seasons and thus, spending such a huge amount was questionable.
They will have to play him in the top 3 to get the best out of him, and if their comments about Josh Philippe are anything to go by, that might not be the case. Buying Kyle Jamieson for Rs. 15 crores to replace <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-journey-of-chris-morris-and-his-performance-in-ipl-over-the-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Morris</a> didn’t make a whole lot of sense as he has played just 38 T20s. Only 3 of those appearances came for New Zealand and he hasn’t even played in any of the major leagues, and whether he will be the answer to RCB’s death bowling woes remains to be seen.
Daniel Christian was purchased for a hefty sum of Rs. 4.8 crore and he will most likely slot into their middle order. All their remaining picks were for Rs. 20 lakhs each with Mohammed Azharudeen being the most notable one. With the budget they had, they could have certainly done a lot better and they thus find themselves 6th on the list.

<h3>5. Mumbai Indians</h3>
<figure id="attachment_464247" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-464247" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-464247" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Trent-Boult-of-Mumbai-Indians.jpg" alt="Trent Boult of Mumbai Indians" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-464247" class="wp-caption-text">Trent Boult of Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Having successfully defended their title last season, Mumbai Indians didn’t have much to do at the auction. They needed a few overseas quicks having released Mitchell McClenaghan, James Pattinson, and Nathan Coulter-Nile, and they were able to do that successfully. MI bought Adam Milne and a young South African prospect in the form of Marco Jansen. They also bought back Nathan Coulter-Nile for a cheaper price.
James Neesham was a smart pick at Rs. 50 lakhs and will be an excellent backup for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kieron-pollard-death-hoax-west-indies-star-busy-playing-t10-league-as-fake-video-of-fatal-car-accident-goes-viral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kieron Pollard</a>. He is a pretty good middle-order batsman and can score vital runs if given the chance and his bowling is arguably better than Pollard’s. Piyush Chawla will add more experience to MI’s spin attack and will be more than useful for them in the event if Rahul Chahar suffers from a loss of form.
They even picked up Arjun Tendulkar, but he isn’t expected to play many games in the upcoming season. MI did their homework like they do before every auction and they once again had a good time during the event and have put themselves in contention for the title. 

<h3>4. Kolkata Knight Riders</h3>
<figure id="attachment_460430" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460430" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-460430" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kolkata-Knight-Riders-team.jpg" alt="Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460430" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
KKR retained the core of their team from last season and had the joint least budget going into the auction. They had most bases covered and just needed a few backups to increase competition for places in the team. Sunil Narine wasn’t in great form last season and they needed to buy someone who would provide cover for him if the same happened this season. They bought <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shakib-al-hasan-set-to-miss-sri-lanka-tests-to-play-in-ipl-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shakib Al Hasan</a> for the same reason and given the form he has been in, he might end up starting ahead of Narine.
Buying a backup for Andre Russell was also a priority for them, and they signed Australian allrounder, Ben Cutting for his base price of Rs. 75 lakhs. He can be extremely dangerous with the bat during the death overs and will also bowl 3-4 overs on most days, and is arguably the best possible backup they could have bought.
Harbhajan Singh for 2 crores was a bit surprising as he hasn’t played any form of competitive cricket since the IPL final in 2019. They also signed Karun Nair as a backup Indian batsman and Sheldon Jackson as the backup Indian wicket-keeper which would allow them to stick with the same combination in case Dinesh Karthik suffers an injury.

<h3>3. Chennai Super Kings</h3>
<figure id="attachment_461391" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461391" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-461391" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Chennai-Super-Kings.jpg" alt="Chennai Super Kings" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-461391" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Chennai Super Kings had their worst ever campaign in 2020 as they failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in their history. Despite the fact they had a poor season, they retained the bulk of their squad. They had just one overseas slot available and even that was because Shane Watson had retired.
They didn’t have a single off-spinner in their squad after releasing Harbhajan Singh and that was their top priority. They bought both Moeen Ali and Krishnappa Gowtham for the same reason. Moeen Ali will not only provide them with off-spin, but he will also contribute heavily with the bat. He can bat anywhere in the top 7 and is just the kind of player <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/former-indian-selector-feels-that-ms-dhoni-would-have-definitely-played-the-t20-world-cup-if-not-for-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> likes.
Even Gowtham is pretty handy with the bat lower down the order and will increase the batting depth, but they might have overpaid for him at Rs. 9.25 crore. CSK also bought Cheteshwar Pujara for Rs. 50 lakhs and he will be a useful backup for the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Suresh Raina. They had a pretty good auction and will be looking forward to putting up a better showing in the 14th edition of the tournament.

<h3>2. Punjab Kings</h3>
<figure id="attachment_460788" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460788" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-460788" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kings-XI-Punjab-4.jpg" alt="Kings XI Punjab" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460788" class="wp-caption-text">Kings XI Punjab. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Kings XI Punjab renamed themselves as Punjab Kings just before the auction in a bid to probably change their fortune. They had a large purse of over Rs. 50 crores to strengthen their team, which already had a pretty solid core. PBKS utilized their budget to the fullest and were able to plug most of the gaps in their squad.
They have strengthened their fast bowling significantly by purchasing two of the most highly-rated Australian bowlers in the form of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/felt-like-i-played-a-game-jhye-richardson-opens-up-on-emotions-he-went-through-during-ipl-2021-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jhye Richardson</a> and Riley Meredith. They often struggled to pick up wickets and contain opposition batsmen last season, but with the arrival of those two, they now have one of the best bowling attacks in the league.
The KL Rahul-led team also bought Moises Henriques and Fabian Allen as overseas all-rounders. Shahrukh Khan was picked up for Rs. 5.25 crores he will provide them with an Indian finisher, something that isn’t easily available in the market. Dawid Malan for 1.5 crores is arguably the biggest steal of the auction as he is the world’s No.1 ranked T20I batsman. All in all, they have put themselves in an excellent position and given themselves every chance of winning their first-ever trophy.

<h3>1. Rajasthan Royals</h3>
<figure id="attachment_460786" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460786" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-460786" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rajasthan-Royals-3.jpg" alt="Rajasthan Royals" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460786" class="wp-caption-text">Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
It was a close call between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in terms of who had the better auction, but the Royals just edged it in this case. They finished at the bottom of the table last season and appointed Sanju Samson as their new captain. Their batting was quite inconsistent and even their bowling looked bleak apart from Jofra Archer, who even won the Most Valuable Player Award.
They bought Chris Morris for a record of Rs. 16.25 crores and have finally managed to secure solid support for Archer. A fast bowling duo of Morris and Archer is the stuff of dreams and could be an absolute nightmare for opposition teams. They even bought Mustafizur Rahman for just Rs. 1 crore as a backup and that was one of the biggest bargains of the auction.
RR picked up Shivam Dube for Rs. 4.4 crores and this move could allow them to potentially open with the English duo of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/some-stadium-this-is-ben-stokes-rishabh-pant-and-hardik-pandya-in-awe-of-motera-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Stokes</a> and Jos Buttler. They also purchased Liam Livingstone as a backup batsman, while Chetan Sakariya and Akad Singh will strengthen their domestic pace attack. Their strongest playing XI could have batting depth till No.10 and as many as 8-9 bowling options, and all this a result of the excellent work they did on the 18th of February.

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, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4354243714606316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Jamieson</a>, 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&#8217;t exactly get what they needed and some might have overspent on their targets.
<h3>On that note, here&#8217;s a look at how the teams performed during the IPL auction:</h3>
<h3>8. Delhi Capitals</h3>
<figure id="attachment_463697" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-463697" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-463697" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Delhi-Capitals-2.jpg" alt="Delhi Capitals" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-463697" class="wp-caption-text">Delhi Capitals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Delhi Capitals enjoyed their best ever season last year when they qualified for their first-ever final. However, they couldn&#8217;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&#8217;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&#8217;t really need him given that they already had <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/3rd-class-umpire-twitter-in-disbelief-after-umpires-blunder-in-ajinkya-rahanes-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ajinkya Rahane</a> 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.

<h3>7. Sunrisers Hyderabad</h3>
<figure id="attachment_459856" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-459856" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-459856" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sunrisers-Hyderabad-6.jpg" alt="Sunrisers Hyderabad" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-459856" class="wp-caption-text">Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
SRH didn&#8217;t have a whole lot to do during the auction given that they had retained the majority of their squad. They had just 3 vacant slots including one overseas slot. The team led by David Warner needed an experienced middle-order batsman and would have also wanted an express fast bowler after they released Billy Stanlake.
Their first buy of the day was Jagadeesha Suchith for Rs. 30 lakhs and he will provide them with an additional option in the spin department. They also bought Kedar Jadhav for his base price of Rs. 2 crores after missing out on <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-auction-twitter-goes-crazy-after-rajasthan-royals-shells-out-inr-4-4-crore-for-shivam-dube/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shivam Dube</a> and Krishnappa Gowtham earlier on. Jadhav looked woefully out of touch during the previous campaign and wasn&#8217;t particularly great even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The Sunrisers also bought Mujeeb Ur Rahman for Rs. 1.5 crore, but he might not get a lot of opportunities in the playing XI. Although he is a very good bowler and could provide excellent backup to Rashid Khan, they should have ideally looked to buy an overseas quick who can bowl at speeds exceeding 140 kph given that they don&#8217;t have anyone who can do that at present. However, their rather mediocre auction shouldn&#8217;t have much of an impact on their title chances as these 3 players aren&#8217;t expected to play in a lot of games.

<h3>6. Royal Challengers Bangalore</h3>
<figure id="attachment_457828" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-457828" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-457828" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-vs-Kolkata-Knight-Riders-1.jpg" alt="Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-457828" class="wp-caption-text">Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
In spite of qualifying for the playoffs last season, RCB released a lot of players, which surprised quite a few. They had the 3rd largest purse and thus it was quite obvious that they were going to buy a couple of expensive players. They bought Glenn Maxwell for Rs. 14.25 crores as they looked to solidify their batting lineup. He hasn&#8217;t been impressive in the IPL during the last few seasons and thus, spending such a huge amount was questionable.
They will have to play him in the top 3 to get the best out of him, and if their comments about Josh Philippe are anything to go by, that might not be the case. Buying Kyle Jamieson for Rs. 15 crores to replace <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-journey-of-chris-morris-and-his-performance-in-ipl-over-the-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Morris</a> didn&#8217;t make a whole lot of sense as he has played just 38 T20s. Only 3 of those appearances came for New Zealand and he hasn&#8217;t even played in any of the major leagues, and whether he will be the answer to RCB&#8217;s death bowling woes remains to be seen.
Daniel Christian was purchased for a hefty sum of Rs. 4.8 crore and he will most likely slot into their middle order. All their remaining picks were for Rs. 20 lakhs each with Mohammed Azharudeen being the most notable one. With the budget they had, they could have certainly done a lot better and they thus find themselves 6th on the list.

<h3>5. Mumbai Indians</h3>
<figure id="attachment_464247" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-464247" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-464247" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Trent-Boult-of-Mumbai-Indians.jpg" alt="Trent Boult of Mumbai Indians" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-464247" class="wp-caption-text">Trent Boult of Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Having successfully defended their title last season, Mumbai Indians didn&#8217;t have much to do at the auction. They needed a few overseas quicks having released Mitchell McClenaghan, James Pattinson, and Nathan Coulter-Nile, and they were able to do that successfully. MI bought Adam Milne and a young South African prospect in the form of Marco Jansen. They also bought back Nathan Coulter-Nile for a cheaper price.
James Neesham was a smart pick at Rs. 50 lakhs and will be an excellent backup for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/kieron-pollard-death-hoax-west-indies-star-busy-playing-t10-league-as-fake-video-of-fatal-car-accident-goes-viral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kieron Pollard</a>. He is a pretty good middle-order batsman and can score vital runs if given the chance and his bowling is arguably better than Pollard&#8217;s. Piyush Chawla will add more experience to MI&#8217;s spin attack and will be more than useful for them in the event if Rahul Chahar suffers from a loss of form.
They even picked up Arjun Tendulkar, but he isn&#8217;t expected to play many games in the upcoming season. MI did their homework like they do before every auction and they once again had a good time during the event and have put themselves in contention for the title. 

<h3>4. Kolkata Knight Riders</h3>
<figure id="attachment_460430" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460430" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-460430" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kolkata-Knight-Riders-team.jpg" alt="Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460430" class="wp-caption-text">Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
KKR retained the core of their team from last season and had the joint least budget going into the auction. They had most bases covered and just needed a few backups to increase competition for places in the team. Sunil Narine wasn&#8217;t in great form last season and they needed to buy someone who would provide cover for him if the same happened this season. They bought <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/shakib-al-hasan-set-to-miss-sri-lanka-tests-to-play-in-ipl-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shakib Al Hasan</a> for the same reason and given the form he has been in, he might end up starting ahead of Narine.
Buying a backup for Andre Russell was also a priority for them, and they signed Australian allrounder, Ben Cutting for his base price of Rs. 75 lakhs. He can be extremely dangerous with the bat during the death overs and will also bowl 3-4 overs on most days, and is arguably the best possible backup they could have bought.
Harbhajan Singh for 2 crores was a bit surprising as he hasn&#8217;t played any form of competitive cricket since the IPL final in 2019. They also signed Karun Nair as a backup Indian batsman and Sheldon Jackson as the backup Indian wicket-keeper which would allow them to stick with the same combination in case Dinesh Karthik suffers an injury.

<h3>3. Chennai Super Kings</h3>
<figure id="attachment_461391" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-461391" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-461391" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Chennai-Super-Kings.jpg" alt="Chennai Super Kings" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-461391" class="wp-caption-text">Chennai Super Kings. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Chennai Super Kings had their worst ever campaign in 2020 as they failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in their history. Despite the fact they had a poor season, they retained the bulk of their squad. They had just one overseas slot available and even that was because Shane Watson had retired.
They didn&#8217;t have a single off-spinner in their squad after releasing Harbhajan Singh and that was their top priority. They bought both Moeen Ali and Krishnappa Gowtham for the same reason. Moeen Ali will not only provide them with off-spin, but he will also contribute heavily with the bat. He can bat anywhere in the top 7 and is just the kind of player <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/former-indian-selector-feels-that-ms-dhoni-would-have-definitely-played-the-t20-world-cup-if-not-for-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a> likes.
Even Gowtham is pretty handy with the bat lower down the order and will increase the batting depth, but they might have overpaid for him at Rs. 9.25 crore. CSK also bought Cheteshwar Pujara for Rs. 50 lakhs and he will be a useful backup for the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Suresh Raina. They had a pretty good auction and will be looking forward to putting up a better showing in the 14th edition of the tournament.

<h3>2. Punjab Kings</h3>
<figure id="attachment_460788" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460788" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-460788" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Kings-XI-Punjab-4.jpg" alt="Kings XI Punjab" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460788" class="wp-caption-text">Kings XI Punjab. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Kings XI Punjab renamed themselves as Punjab Kings just before the auction in a bid to probably change their fortune. They had a large purse of over Rs. 50 crores to strengthen their team, which already had a pretty solid core. PBKS utilized their budget to the fullest and were able to plug most of the gaps in their squad.
They have strengthened their fast bowling significantly by purchasing two of the most highly-rated Australian bowlers in the form of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/felt-like-i-played-a-game-jhye-richardson-opens-up-on-emotions-he-went-through-during-ipl-2021-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jhye Richardson</a> and Riley Meredith. They often struggled to pick up wickets and contain opposition batsmen last season, but with the arrival of those two, they now have one of the best bowling attacks in the league.
The KL Rahul-led team also bought Moises Henriques and Fabian Allen as overseas all-rounders. Shahrukh Khan was picked up for Rs. 5.25 crores he will provide them with an Indian finisher, something that isn&#8217;t easily available in the market. Dawid Malan for 1.5 crores is arguably the biggest steal of the auction as he is the world&#8217;s No.1 ranked T20I batsman. All in all, they have put themselves in an excellent position and given themselves every chance of winning their first-ever trophy.

<h3>1. Rajasthan Royals</h3>
<figure id="attachment_460786" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-460786" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-460786" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rajasthan-Royals-3.jpg" alt="Rajasthan Royals" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-460786" class="wp-caption-text">Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
It was a close call between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in terms of who had the better auction, but the Royals just edged it in this case. They finished at the bottom of the table last season and appointed Sanju Samson as their new captain. Their batting was quite inconsistent and even their bowling looked bleak apart from Jofra Archer, who even won the Most Valuable Player Award.
They bought Chris Morris for a record of Rs. 16.25 crores and have finally managed to secure solid support for Archer. A fast bowling duo of Morris and Archer is the stuff of dreams and could be an absolute nightmare for opposition teams. They even bought Mustafizur Rahman for just Rs. 1 crore as a backup and that was one of the biggest bargains of the auction.
RR picked up Shivam Dube for Rs. 4.4 crores and this move could allow them to potentially open with the English duo of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/some-stadium-this-is-ben-stokes-rishabh-pant-and-hardik-pandya-in-awe-of-motera-stadium/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Stokes</a> and Jos Buttler. They also purchased Liam Livingstone as a backup batsman, while Chetan Sakariya and Akad Singh will strengthen their domestic pace attack. Their strongest playing XI could have batting depth till No.10 and as many as 8-9 bowling options, and all this a result of the excellent work they did on the 18th of February.

The franchises tried the hearts out in picking players to bridge gaps in their teams.

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

The auction for the upcoming season took place on the 18th of February and several players earned themselves IPL contracts.It was