IPL 2018: 3 possible reasons why Gautam Gambhir went to Delhi Daredevils for peanuts

In this year’s IPL auction, KL Rahul went to Kings XI Punjab for 11 crores, Manish Pandey went to Sunrisers Hyderabad for 11 crores but Gautam Gambhir went to Delhi Daredevils for 2.2 crores. This stark contrast between their prices leaves one wondering, “Is Gambhir a batsman of any less pedigree than Rahul or Pandey that there is a five-fold difference between their prices?”

Accepted that this was self-inflicted as it was Gambhir who wanted to go back to his city franchise, but still, how can the difference be so startling? How can a champion opening batsman and a two time title-winning Captain remain content with a price that is so unbecoming of his stature?

So, after a session of brainstorming, we finally came out with the following three reasons which somewhat justify why Gautam Gambhir went to Delhi Daredevils for peanuts.

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#1 Obligation to be made captain

Most IPL teams already have established captains

Gautam Gambhir is certainly captaincy material and has an innate flair for leadership. Therefore, if any other team had gone for him, they would have had to consider him for the skipper’s role. Given that most teams already have leaders like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, David Warner and Steve Smith, there was no room to fit Gambhir in.

There was a possibility for a team like Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) to go for the Delhi Ranji Trophy opener but if they had picked him and made him the captain, their entire strategy would then have to revolve around him. In such a situation, there were chances of ego clashes between Gambhir and Sehwag, who is the mainstay of the KXIP think tank.

It is an open secret that the former Delhi teammates don’t share the best of bonds and have been vocal about the same on social media. Sehwag also did not share a workable rapport with former KXIP Captain Glenn Maxwell.

#2 Opening slots full

Gambhir had a terrific record as an opener for KKR

Gambhir has been opening the batting for the better part of his career, be it for his Ranji Trophy side, the national team or in the IPL. Whichever side picked him, they would have had to accommodate him at the top of the batting order.

Acknowledging that most teams have their openers sorted – some of them even have good back up openers – they decided not to go for the southpaw. There was also a case for the left-hander to be pushed lower down the order, but then he remains only half the batsman that he is as an opener.

#3 Short-term bet

The best cricketing years of the southpaw are behind him

There is no denying the fact that the 36-year-old Gambhir is at the fag end of his career and has around 2-3 years of cricket left in him. With this year’s auctions being the mega-auction for the next three years of the IPL, most teams were looking to build a solid core that could last for a long time.

This was the reason that even Gambhir’s former team Kolkata Knight Riders invested so heavily in Indian U-19 stars like Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi. This mindset of the franchises coupled with Gauti’s age, prevented them from going for one of the most successful players the cash-rich league has ever seen.