The happenings around the auction weren’t particularly auspicious for the league as the Justice Mudgal role indicted former Chennai Super Kings Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan for his involvement in betting on Indian Premier League games.
But still SC allowed the auction to go ahead as scheduled. And Day 1 of the IPL auction for 2014 saw the franchises going all guns blazing to grab the best players in the world. SPORTZWIKI takes a look at the Top 5 best buys of the day.
1. Mitchell Johnson
Australia’s ashes hero Mitchell Johnson seems to be the flavour of the season as an aggressive bidding war saw Preity Zinta buy the much wanted Australian pace bowler for a hefty price of Rs 6.5 crore. But on the bowler friendly tracks of Mohali, Johnson will be worth every penny of the amount as he adds that much needed experience and wicket-taking prowess to the Kings XI Punjab bowling line-up.
2. Corey Anderson
Nita bhabhi did get her man eventually! The New Zealand all-rounder has been the talk of the town since his century off just 36 balls against the West Indies, and was expected to fetch a big price. Anderson is an accomplished bowler too, and with Kieron Pollard also in their ranks, Mumbai Indians will be one of the major contenders for this season’s crown too.
3. David Warner
David Warner is one of the most destructive players in the T20 format and with Shikhar Dhawan as his opening partner, Sunrisers Hyderabad have the batting strength at the top of the order that other teams can just dream of! And let’s not forget the likes of Aaron Finch and the big-hitting Darren Sammy will add even greater depth to their batting.
4. Morne Morkel
Kolkata Knight Riders had a rather forgettable day at the IPL auction, failing to add quality players in their middle order after missing out on Yuvraj Singh. But the South African speedster is one of the best bowlers in the world and his wicket-taking ability could be vital to KKR’s fortunes this season. At Rs 2.8 crore, Morkel is one of the top buys of the day.
5. Kevin Petersen
Smart stategy by the Delhi Daredevils helped them retain the services of rejected England star Kevin Petersen for a far lower price that they would have had to pay if they had chosen to retain him prior to the auction. At Rs 9 crore, Kevin Petersen’s acquisition gives the Delhi Daredevils a world-class talent who is expected to be fully available for the IPL.
