EXCLUSIVE | IPL 2022 mega auction: Mohammad Kaif’s prediction comes true as Raj Bawa, Yash Dhull bag big deals

The two-day Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction came to an end in Bengaluru on Sunday (February 13). Over Rs 551 crore were spent by the 10 teams for buying 204 players, 67 of them foreigners.

Notably, in the third round on day two of the 2022 IPL Mega Auction, India U-19 stars from the 2022 World Cup batch got picked by various franchises.

Yash Dhull, India's recent 2022 U-19 World Cup-winning captain, was acquired by Delhi Capitals for INR 50 lakh apart from making smart buybacks in all-rounders Lalit Yadav (INR 65 lakh) and Ripal Patel (INR 20 lakh).

Hyderabad and Punjab bid for all-rounder Raj Angad Bawa, who was 'Player of the Match' in the 2022 U-19 World Cup final against England. Mumbai too joined the bid but Punjab got him for INR 2 crores.

Mumbai then secured the first bid for Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Bawa's teammate. Lucknow joined the bid followed by Chennai. Eventually, Chennai got him for INR 1.5 crores.

Interestingly, in an EXCLUSIVE interview with Zee News, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif had predicted that Bawa and Dhull will be in demand during the IPL 2022 auction.

“Raj Bawa played really good in the finals. He is an all-rounder and every team in the IPL wants a multi-dimensional player. He took 5 wickets in the final with great bowling, bowls the bouncer without hesitation, has aggression and batting also, he was great under pressure knocking 30-35 runs at number 6 in the final,” Kaif had told Zee News ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.

“Yash Dhull also scored a century in semis and comes from Delhi from where many greats have come like Virat Kohli and Virender Sehwag. He’s a very good captain and player,” he had said when asked which U-19 players can bag big deals in the auction.