IPL 2022: A Lopsided Mega Auction - Yuzvendra Chahal Vs Rahul Tewatia Case Study

The plan and logic behind selecting players in IPL auction can be perplexing. IPL auction 2022 was no different. Teams apparently employ a lot of 'brain' in picking their squads. Like all top-notch corporate bodies, the people who sit in the auction room and place bids have at least three plans handy. But sometimes, calculations can defy simple cricketing logic. (More Cricket News)

Take the case of Rahul Tewatia, the ex-Rajasthan Royals all-rounder who has occasionally played game-changer with a sweet cameo or turned the course of a game with a couple of quick wickets.

And now take the case of Yuzvendra Chahal. A proven performer for both Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Indian cricket team. Known as a thinking bowler - Chahal was a national-level chess player - he has been a go-to man in limited overs cricket. By logic, Chahal should have got a better deal. But Goddess Laxmi smiled more on Mr Tewatia at the IPL auction. 

Mumbai Indians breaking the bank for Ishan Kishan (15.25 Crore) and a time-tested World Cup champion David Warner being sold for 9 crore less is another example of how unbalanced IPL auctions can be.   

TRUE VALUE

Skillset always remains the primary facet while structuring a squad but it is equally important to understand what a particular player can potentially bring on board. At the IPL auction 2022, ‘Auction Dynamics’ ruled over the true value of a cricketer.

Chahal, an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore over the years, was bought by Rajasthan Royals in IPL auction 2022 for Rs 6.5 crore. Tewatia took away a whopping Rs 9 crore from IPL debutants Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Yuzvendra Chahal came into the limelight in 2011 when he was first bought by Mumbai Indians. But he rose to prominence under Virat Kohli when the Haryana leg-spinner joined RCB in 2014 and was one of the vital cogs until last season.

NO COMPARISON

Seven years down the line, Chahal sits on 139 wickets from 114 games and also 100 ODI scalps for India that he achieved last week against West Indies. Tewatia comes nowhere near to Chahal as far as stats are concerned.    

A leg-spinning all-rounder, Tewatia plays for Haryana in domestic cricket and could manage only four wickets in five matches of the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His IPL stats aren’t eye-popping too.

The 28-year-old Tewatia took just eight IPL wickets last season and has a total of 32 wickets in 48 matches he has played since 2014. Yes, Tewatia is a handy batting option down the order but if a team is consistently depending on Tewatia to win matches as a finisher, then their planning is debatable. 

Chahal will have a high probability of making the Rajasthan Royals playing XI on any given day but Tewatia will have to compete for a place in a Gujarat team that has all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan. 

COOL BUY

To bag a man of David Warner's caliber for Rs 6.25 crores was a 'steal' for Delhi Capitals. Warner was expected to make big money since he is not only an in-form dashing opener, he is captaincy material as well. But Ishan Kishan beat him to the bank. Mumbai Indians will now expect a solid return of investment from the former India U-19 captain.

History of IPL auctions have shown the many over-the-top decisions made by the smartest of teams. ROI has been nil or negligible. 

The selection of Krishnappa Gowtham (Rs 9.25 crore by Chennai Super Kings in 2021), Pawan Negi (Rs 8.5 crore by Delhi Daredevils in 2016) and Varun Chakravarthy (Rs 8.4 crore by Kings XI Punjab in 2019) proved to be misadventures.

Money can't buy logic and business sense can backfire. Big spenders have not always won IPL trophies but teams with a strong inner core and game sense have prevailed.

Teams like Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have never won the IPL, will know that money can't buy you everything. IPL auction plans are party responsible for this.