Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

IPL Auction Flashback: The First Flush – Remember the First Buys of Every IPL Franchise?

2008 was a year of glamour for Indian cricket as legends from major cricketing nations flew down to play in the IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to organize another mega auction on November 24 and November 25; this time, it is expected to be one of the biggest player auctions in the world of sports. This auction obviously reminds us of the first-ever IPL auction that took place in 2008.

World cricket and India had no idea how the T20 format would evolve, but in 2008, India took the chance and gave birth to the IPL. The splurge of money, glamour, fashion, music, and involvement of celebrities turned the tournament into “India ka Tyohaar.” This is why almost every cricketing legend flew down to India to play in the IPL.

Ahead of the November auction, we recall the first buys of every IPL franchise in 2008.

Deccan Chargers

The first purchase of now-defunct team Deccan Chargers was Australian legend Adam Gilchrist. Before Dhoni, it was Gilchrist who showed that a wicketkeeper could be a hard and aggressive hitter in the middle order. He played 80 matches in the IPL and scored 2,069 runs, including 11 50s and two centuries. As per moneyball.insidesport, his salary in 2008 was INR 28 lakh. Not to forget, he led the side to the 2009 IPL trophy.

Kolkata Knight Riders

A complete waste of money, the first pick of the Riders was Shoaib Akhtar for INR 3.2 crore. However, he played only three games for KKR, picking five wickets. Later on, tensions between IND and PAK led to the ban of PAK players in the IPL, and Akhtar could never return to play for any of the sides.

Kings XI Punjab

Mahela Jayawardene may have become a successful name in the IPL because of his adventures with the Mumbai Indians. However, he was first picked by Kings XI Punjab, for whom he played close to 40 matches. He was also the captain of Kochi Tuskers and Delhi Daredevils but found success as a coach with Mumbai Indians.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Unlike the above three teams, Royal Challengers Bangalore started their first auction by buying an Indian player, i.e., Anil Kumble. Kumble was purchased for his base price by Vijay Mallya and stayed with Bangalore for three years. During these three years, he played 42 games and picked 45 wickets at an average of 23.51 and an economy of 6.58.

Delhi Daredevils

Delhi Daredevils purchased their first player at a lesser price than his reserve price. The player was Glenn McGrath, who had a reserve price of INR 1.4 crore. However, Delhi grabbed McGrath for INR 90 lakhs only. He played only one season in the IPL, appearing in 14 matches and picking 12 wickets while maintaining an economy of 6.61.

Chennai Super Kings

After a massive bidding war, Chennai Super Kings won their bid for MS Dhoni, their first signing at INR 9.5 crore. Dhoni still remains one of the most expensive signings in IPL history, and he justified his tag by guiding the team to five IPL trophies in 14 years.

Mumbai Indians

Harbhajan Singh was the first player the Mumbai Indians had signed in 2008 at INR 7.18 lakh. The legendary Indian bowler played nine seasons for the Indians and was part of their maiden IPL title in 2013. That season, he picked 24 wickets and was one of the crucial cogs that ensured Mumbai’s victory.

Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals may not have won a second title since 2008, but in the inaugural year, they put their money where their mouth is—INR 33 lakh on the late legendary Aussie spinner Shane Warne. Warnie’s captaincy helped Rajasthan Royals become the first-ever IPL champions in 2008. He played for three years before joining the backroom staff of the team.