IPL 2020: The Costliest 11 of the Auction (Costs 750 Million)

Eoin Morgan to Captain the costliest 11 from the list of players sold at the IPL 2020 Auction.

The prelude to the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League concluded in Kolkata with 62 players attracting the bids at the event. Overall, It were the Aussies who ruled the auction when it came to the Costliest buys. Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell the shining stars with costliest purchase price.

Pat Cummins bagged a whopping contract worth INR 1550 Lakh from KKR. Apart from finishing as the most expensive purchase this season, KKR’s bid for Cummins is also the highest-ever for an overseas player. While Piyush Chawla became the Costliest Indian player, Aussie boys Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, and Marcus Stoinis too enjoyed a good pay-day.

A total of ~INR 1.4 Billion was spent on 29 overseas players and 33 Indian players at the auction. Keeping aside the impact these players could have on their respective franchises, which of course is subjective, we tried to analyze the players who earned big at the auction.

So, In this article, we have compiled the costliest playing 11 from the list of players sold at the IPL 2020 auction. Please note that we would stick to playing 5 Batsmen, 6 Bowlers & All-rounders in this line-up with focus only on selecting potent costly players. 

OPENERS

Aaron Finch (RCB)- INR 440L || Robin Uthappa (KKR) (WK)- INR 300L

The former World No.1 in the T20 format, Aaron Finch has joined RCB as his eighth IPL franchise in the competition. The Australian captain missed the previous edition of the IPL, and he will now return to the Chinnaswamy to resume his IPL career.

At the auction, KKR were also interested in his services, and hence, Finch’s value had steady growth. Eventually, RCB signed the player for INR 440L to set up a delicious batting trio of Finch-Virat-AB for the fans to savor.

Robin Uthappa will be Ajinkya Rahane’s replacement at the Jaipur-based franchise. Many franchisees were skeptical about Robbie at the start, but RR took full use of it by poaching him for INR 300L.

MIDDLE-ORDER

Eoin Morgan (KKR) (C)- INR 525L || Shimron Hetmyer (DC)- INR 725L || Glenn Maxwell (KXIP) – INR 1075L

It has been a while since Eoin Morgan last played in the IPL. Historically, In whatever games he has played, the English man has mostly been disappointing.  However, after the 2019 World Cup win, and a great period of personal form, Morgan will now be a different customer to contend with.

After a disappointing start to his IPL career at RCB, Hetmyer will look to set things straight at Delhi Capitals next season. Hetmyer is in great form right now, and that might have spurred DC to invest INR 7.75 on him. Also, with the firepower they already have in the top-order, Hetmyer’s inclusion will be a big boost to DC’s middle-order.

KXIP struggled with their middle-order combination last season. They needed a power-finisher, and hence, they hired the best option in the auction pool – Glenn Maxwell. The Aussie cricketer is an impact player, and having succeeded at KXIP in the past, Anil Kumble can bank on him to win a few games. Also, with the terrific top-order at KXIP, Maxwell coming down at No.4 or 5 will render balance to the team. 

ALL-ROUNDERS

Chris Morris (RCB)- INR 1000L || Sam Curran (CSK)- INR 550L

Overseas bowlers with the ability to do well at the death are always an asset to any team. Hence, it was expected that Chris Morris would earn big at the auction. However, a bid this high was never in the imagination of many. Being the decent batsmen that he is, Morris earned the extra bucks for his all-round skills. However, at the Chinnaswamy, it needs to be seen if the South African can replicate his T20 success.

Sam Curran, on the other hand, did well in patches for KXIP last season. However, the English youngster failed to justify his high price-tag, which led to his release from the franchise. At CSK, Sam will be interacting with a more experienced group, which will only help get the best out of him. The wicket at Chennai suits bowlers like Sam, and if used in the top-order, his batting skills could also be put to use.

BOWLERS: 

Pat Cummins (KKR)- INR 1550L || Piyush Chawla (CSK)- INR 675L || Nathan Coulter-Nile (MI)- INR 800L || Sheldon Cottrell (KXIP)- INR 850L  

When Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals were chasing the Aussie speedster, Pat Cummins like a nighthawk, Kolkata Knight Riders came out of nowhere, in the end, to snatch Pat Cummins for a whopping INR 1550L. The Aussie would lit the bowling line-up of KKR which already has Lockie Ferguson and potential Indian pacers. 

CSK invested INR 675L for Piyush Chawla with their intentions to alternate between Imran Tahir and overseas pace bowler. For Piyush though, he could not have asked for a better start to his post-30 cricketing career. Under MS Dhoni, and at Chepauk, Piyush could well find its lost ground.

CSK and MI were involved in an intense bidding war for Australian Pacer, Nathan Coulter-Nile at the auction. Eventually, the defending champions prised him away for a whopping amount of INR 8 Cr. However, with a plethora of overseas quicks already available at MI, it was surprising that the franchise went hard after the bowler. 

After his exploits at the World Cup, and the ongoing series against India, many teams had earmarked Cottrell. KXIP, who required an overseas quick to partner Mohammed Shami went hard after Cottrell. They picked him up for INR 850L, and made him the most expensive debutante for the upcoming season.

So, that completes the most expensive 11 from the list of players sold at the IPL 2020 Auction.

Costliest Playing 11 of the IPL 2020 Auction: 

Aaron Finch, Robin Uthappa (WK), Eoin Morgan (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris, Sam Curran, Pat Cummins, Piyush Chawla, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Sheldon Cottrell. 

Thanks for reading! How do you think this team would have performed, if played together? Please, share your thoughts on business@cricalytics.com

---

ALSO READ: IPL 2020: Auction Buys and Complete Squad list of all Teams

---

© AK4Tsay1 Cricalytics