IPL franchises invest huge amounts of money every season to retain and buy players who can win matches and potentially the title. With high salaries come high expectations. From owners and fans to cricket punters, everyone is looking for a good return on their investment.
Most of all, it is the punters who stake huge amounts on teams with big purchases at the auction. Moreover, they also wager on these players individually. For example, the individual markets on cricket betting sites offer great prices for a player to hit a six, take a wicket, score a fifty, or be the top batsman or bowler. An IPL player with a high salary is likely to be a favorite in such individual markets. Whether you’re a fan or a punter, it is crucial to know whether a particular player is overpriced by his team and the betting site so as to adjust your expectations and your stake.
Check out the top 10 highest paid players in IPL 2022 and find out which teams got it right -
KL Rahul - One of the newest franchises of IPL signed KL Rahul for a whopping Rs.17 crores. He has become the joint-highest paid player in IPL history. Lucknow Super Giants picked KL Rahul in the draft before the mega auction. Though his captaincy stint with Punjab wasn’t a big success, LSG has appointed him as the captain of the team.
Rohit Sharma - This entry on the list is hardly surprising given the unmatched talent and success of this man as a captain of Mumbai Indians. With a salary of Rs.16 crores, Rohit Sharma continued to lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022.
Rishabh Pant - After Shreyar Iyer was out of IPL due to injury, Pant led the team for the rest of 2021 even after Iyer’s return to the side. Delhi Capitals paid Rs. 16 crores to retain Rishabh Pant in IPL 2022 and continued with him as the skipper while releasing Shreyas Iyer.
Ravindra Jadeja - An absolute match-winner, Ravindra Jadeja, also bagged a Rs.16 crores salary as CSK retained him for the 2022 season. His contributions to Chennai’s success with both bat and ball has been immense and it is only natural that the franchise would pay such a high salary to the all-rounder.
Ishan Kishan - Mumbai Indians paid Rs.15.25 crores for Ishan Kishan in the mega auction. While he has been an integral part of the MI setup and was impressive in the recent seasons, this purchase didn’t go down well with the fans. Many experts believe MI overpaid for the wicket-keeper batsman.
Rashid Khan - Another draft pick on this list, Rashid Khan was named T20I player of the decade in 2020. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Chris Gayle were among the nominees for the award. Gujarat Titans signed Rashid Khan for Rs.15 crores after the leg-spinner decided to part ways with SRH.
Virat Kohli - The former RCB and India captain, Virat Kohli was paid a salary of 17 crores from 2018 to 2021. In IPL 2022, RCB retained him for a salary of Rs.15 crores. Could it be a result of Kohli stepping down as the captain of the side?
Hardik Pandya - After being one of the most impactful finishers for Mumbai Indians for a long time, Hardik Pandya finally bid goodbye to the Ambani-owned franchise. Gujarat Titans signed the all-rounder for Rs.15 crores before the mega auction and appointed him as the captain of the side.
Sanju Samson - Rajasthan Royals continue to show their trust in Sanju Samson as a captain. The franchise retained him for a salary of Rs. 14 crores in IPL 2022. RR made some good decisions in the mega auction that would help Samson build a strong team.
Deepak Chahar - Only the second player on this list to be bought in the mega auction, Deepak Chahar was the second highest purchase with a winning bid of Rs.14 crores from Chennai Super Kings. He was paid a salary of Rs. 80 Lakhs from 2018 to 2021 and has been part of CSK since 2016.