EXCLUSIVE: Mohammad Kaif says Shikhar Dhawan or David Warner can become highest paid player in IPL 2022 auction

The countdown has begun as the much-awaited IPL 2022 auction is less than four days away. A total of 590 cricketers will go under the hammer on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru as the 10 franchises – including newly-added Lucknow Super Giants and Team Ahmedabad – will look to build their squads.

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that former Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan or ex-Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner can become the highest-paid player in the upcoming mega event.

Kaif joined Zee New English exclusively in a Facebook Live session to talk about IPL 2022 auction.

What all surprises can be witnessed in the auction?

MK: It’s very difficult to predict auctions. All the teams would be preparing themselves with mock drills, doing meetings, but in my opinion, strategies might not work always. So, teams should make different plans for any situation.

Big players who will be made available or will be up for grab at the later stage of the auction might get paid less because in the starting, teams will have a task to make a core squad and they will bid heavily for good players in the beginning. The starting 10-15 players in the bid-lineup will get the benefit.

Indian players will be more in demand like Shikhar Dhawan, Mohammed Shami, who’ll be auctioned in the opening set will get the benefit maybe because of the demand for Indian players and they are also up in the order. More players like Shreyas Iyer and R Ashwin also can get the benefit.

Who can be the highest-paid player in IPL 2022 auction?

MK: Shikhar Dhawan can be the highest-paid player. Every year he scores 400-500 runs and was a part of a good team (Delhi Capitals).

David Warner can also become the most expensive player because of his superb performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup and he’s captain material as well.

Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada can also be in the list.

For which teams the auction will be very crucial?

MK: Ahmedabad and Lucknow. The new teams will have to work very hard in the auctions, although they have experienced coaches but it’s difficult for new teams because the old teams are set.

But after the auction you’ll see every team satisfied, you’ll never see a franchise unhappy after the auction because of so many players and the options available. For example, if you want Warner and other team buys him, you still have de Kock as an option. If you think of buying Rabada, you have Cummins also as an option. In the end, it depends on how you handle the player and how you make him perform.

It is worth mentioning that amongst 590 players (370 Indian, 220 overseas) who have registered for the auction, 228 are capped players, 355 are uncapped players and seven belong to Associate Nations.

A fierce battle to acquire the services of some of the finest Indian cricketing talent is on the cards when the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, R Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Ishan Kishan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, etc. go under the hammer.