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With IPL 2022 less than a week away, the excitement levels have reached a fever pitch. The mega event will get underway this Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium with a match between the Chennai Super Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Last month, fans witnessed the biggest auction in IPL history, where 10 franchises signed more than 200 players. Some IPL teams pulled off masterstrokes at the IPL mega auction, while others could not execute their plans to perfection.
Ahead of IPL 2022, we will take a look at three players who earned massive contracts but will have to produce their best performance till date to justify their price tag.
#1 Rahul Tewatia - Signed for ₹9 crore by Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022
Rahul Tewatia came into the spotlight in IPL 2020 when he smacked five sixes off an over bowled by Sheldon Cottrell. Tewatia wowed the cricket universe with his big-hitting as he inspired the Rajasthan Royals to a win over the Punjab Kings in Sharjah.
But since that game, Tewatia's batting performances have not been as impressive. His 53 runs that night against Punjab continue to retain the only half-century of his career.
Speaking of his numbers in the bowling department, Tewatia has bagged 32 wickets in 48 matches at an economy rate of 7.71. The all-rounder received a massive deal worth ₹9 crore from the Gujarat Titans at the mega auction. It will be interesting to see if the former Rajasthan Royals player can justify his price tag.
Click here to view the IPL Winners List.
#2 Shimron Hetmyer - Signed for ₹8.5 crore by Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2022
Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Capitals in an intense bidding war to acquire Shimron Hetmyer's services. Hetmyer previously played for the Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. The southpaw has scored 517 runs in 31 IPL games at an average of 25.85.
Hetmyer has a fantastic strike rate of more than 150 in the league, but having signed him for ₹8.5 crore, the Royals will expect better consistency from him.
The Caribbean star does not play regularly for the West Indies team. Hence, all eyes will be on him when the Royals play in IPL 2022.
#3 Nicholas Pooran - Signed for ₹10.75 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022
Another Caribbean player to feature on the list is Nicholas Pooran. The left-handed batter had a disastrous IPL 2021 season with the Punjab Kings, where he managed to cross the 30-run mark only once in 12 matches.
Pooran recorded three ducks in his first four games. His highest score was 32, while he was dismissed in single digits nine times.
Despite his disappointing showing in IPL 2021, the Sunrisers Hyderabad broke the bank to acquire his services for a whopping ₹10.75 crore.
The team's spin-bowling coach, Muttiah Muralitharan, explained the reason behind signing Pooran for ₹10.75 crore in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
"We initially wanted to buy Kishan," said Muralitharan. "But once his bid crossed our budget, we were forced to look for alternatives. We wanted an international wicketkeeper who would be available for all the games, so we thought Pooran was the right choice once Kishan slipped away."
Pooran will have to score heaps of runs at a blistering strike rate for the Hyderabad-based franchise this year to justify his price tag.
