'Thank you for showing faith in me' - Deepak Hooda on being picked by LSG for INR 5.75 Crore

Day one of the IPL mega auction for the 2022 edition went underway on February 12, 2022. The mega auction saw some high-octane bidding for various players by the 10 franchises. Heading into the second day of the auction on the 13th, all the teams will be looking forward to filling up the remaining Indian as well as overseas slots. The existing teams were allowed to retain a few players while the two new franchises- Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans picked three players each in their initial draft.

Ishan Kishan, the left-handed wicketkeeper batter has been the most expensive pick in the auction up till now, going for INR 15.25 Crores to the Mumbai Indians, his previous season franchise. He also became the second most expensive Indian buy in the history of IPL auctions after former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. The 2011 World Cup winner was brought for whopping INR 16 Crores in 2015. Deepak Chahar, the bowling all-rounder was the second most expensive buy, being brought back by the Chennai Super Kings for INR 14 Crores.

All-rounder Deepak Hooda reacts after being brought by LSG

One of the important Indian buys in the auction was the all-rounder Deepak Hooda who recently made his debut for India in the One-day Internationals in the recently concluded series against the West Indies. Hooda was brought for INR 5.75 Crores by the Lucknow Super Giants.

The off-spinning all-rounder started a bidding war between Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad before being finally picked by the Lucknow based franchise.

“I’m really happy to be a part of Lucknow Super Giants and thank you for showing faith in me. I am really excited to join my new family Lucknow Super Giants,” Hooda said in a video posted on Lucknow Super Giants Twitter.

Hooda made waves around the Indian cricketing scene when he made his reputation as a big-hitter and owing to his ability to tonk them big in the lower order earned him a contract with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2016 season when he was brought in the auction for a price of INR 4.2 Crores. Over the years, the Rohtak lad has impressed everyone with his all-around abilities. He played for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2015 season before playing for SRH the next year.