IPL 2014 Auction: Top Five Best Deals Overall

After two days of strenuous haggling over the price and bidding for players the curtains have finally been drawn on the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014 Player auctions after a host of stellar names went under the hammer at the ITC Gardenia hotel in Bangalore.

Among the list of 514 players who were up for grabs only 154 players were sold over both the days. With many names now set to combine forces with their new teammates while few were remained put with their current franchise.

With the tournament scheduled to be played this year, IBTimes UK picks out five best signings by the teams who may ultimately rise to become the brightest star in the seventh edition of this decorated T20 tournament.

Read More: IPL 2014 Auction: Final Team-Wise List of Players Sold

Michael Hussey

The left-handed batsman retired from the International cricket for Australia, but continues to play in the swiftest format of the game. The 38-year-old represented the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL since the first season in 2008 (did not feature in 2009)and has the third best average in the overall IPL tally with 44.50 with a strike-rate of 124.33.

However, CSK's loss is Mumbai Indians' (MI) gain as the defending IPL champions added Hussey to their roster for a fee of Rs 50m after a rigorous tussle with Delhi Daredevils (DD).

In the Big Bash League which concluded last month, the former Australian batsman smashed three half-centuries throughout the tournament. Having a proven track record in this tournament with over 1600 runs to his overall tally, Hussey is certainly one of the best deals for John Wright's squad.

Virender Sehwag

After being dropped midway through the test series against Australia last year, Virender Sehwag has been biding his time playing First Class Cricket for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. The former Delhi Daredevils (DD) opener was also not among retained in the squad and was among the stellar names in the auction list.

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) paid Rs 32m brushing aside competition from MI for the 35-year-old, who has been one of the elite performers in this tournament. Having featured in all the six seasons of the IPL so far, Sehwag has the best strike-rate in the IPL with 160.32 having played 79 matches and is among the 10 highest run scorers in the competition.

Needless to say, the man who holds the highest individual score of 219 runs in One Day International cricket will be a valuable asset for team coach Darren Lehmann.

Amit Mishra

The right-handed leg spinner has played in the IPL regularly since its opening campaign. Beginning with the DD, Amit Mishra moved to Deccan Chargers (dissolved) and then eventually was recruited by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SH) last year for whom he managed to take 21 wickets.

DD won the battle to sign the player for Rs 47.5m after RR and KXIP were unable to match their valuation, only for a twist in the last minute. SH were willing to exercise their 'Right to Match' power to retain the 31-year-old for yet another season. Mishra has been a constant thorn for the rival batsmen and is the second highest wicket-taker overall in the tournament with 95 to his name.

Mitchell Johnson

Ashes Test series hero Mitchell Johnson was among the MI squad that lifted the IPL trophy last year. Featuring in his first ever IPL tournament, the 32-year-old dismissed 24 rival batsmen to mark his name as the third highest wicket-taker last year.

Johnson's attacking prowess and pace with the ball is capable of instilling fear in the opposition dugout. However, following the team's decision not to retain him for another year, the left-arm fast bowler was involved in a tug of war between DD, CSK and KXIP with the latter winning the tussle after filing a bid of Rs 65m.

Ishwar Chandra Pandey

Still untested in the international cricket arena, Ishwar Pandey raised eyebrows after being included in the Indian squad for the New Zealand tour. However, the Madhya Pradesh born medium paced bowler is no stranger to the limelight of the IPL.

Pandey was part of the Pune Warriors India squad last year and played two matches in the 2013 edition with one wicket to his account.

MI and CSK initially began the bidding war for the 24-year-old who had a valuation of Rs 1m. However, with a Hyderabad's desire to add Pandey to their roster forced the two time IPL champions' hand to raise their bid up to Rs 15m, which was enough to land the right-handed bowler to their side.

It will be interesting to be see how the new entrant in the Indian national squad manages to cope up with the pressure and deliver performances worthy of appreciation.

Notable Mention

Ryan Ten Doeschate

One of the two most expensive players in the uncapped list was Ryan Ten Doeschate who was priced at Rs10m. The Dutchman was retained by KKR for the same price during the second day of the auction.

The 33-year-old allrounder has a single wicket to his name and was part of the KKR squad that triumphed in the fifth edition of the IPL.