The underdog's day out

David Wiese, bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 2.8 Crore in 2015

Base Price : INR 30 Lakhs

Among those to have come into prominence in the post-Kallis era, David Wiese toiled for long in South Africa's domestic circuit. His impressive performances for Titans earned him a regular spot in the national T20 side. His efforts did not miss the eye of the IPL scouts, it seemed, as he landed a blockbuster payday at the 2015 auction. He backed it up by finishing as Royal Challengers' fourth-highest wicket-taker, with 16 scalps in his debut season, apart from scoring quick runs lower down the order.

M Ashwin, bought by Rising Pune Supergiants for INR 4.5 Crore in 2016

Base Price : 10 Lakhs

A long-time net bowler for Chennai Super Kings, Ashwin was coming off a successful Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy when the auction took place. With the suspended Super Kings' brains trust having shifted base to Rising Pune Supergiants, Ashwin's bag of wickets in the domestic T20 tournament convinced captain MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming to go all out for him in the bidding war. He finished with 7 wickets from 10 games, and his services have since been acquired by Delhi Daredevils.

Pawan Negi, bought by Delhi Daredevils for INR 8.5 Crore in 2016

Base Price : 30 Lakhs

The IPL's most expensive uncapped player ever, Negi's solid limited-overs domestic season made him a part of the India squad as a backup spinner during the World T20. A left-arm spinner who can also score quick runs, he had been used as a pinch-hitter by Super Kings in earlier seasons. However, Negi could not live up to his hefty price tag, finishing the 2016 season with 57 runs at less than a run a ball, apart from one wicket in eight games.

Dan Christian, bought by Deccan Chargers for INR 4.1 Crore ($ 900,000) in 2011

A lower middle-order batsman who can hit the ball a long way, as well as a genuine wicket-taker, Christian's consistent performances in domestic cricket had put him in the Australia T20 squad when he was picked up by Deccan Chargers in 2011. He delivered with both bat and ball, picking up 11 wickets to go alongside 190 runs in 14 games. A move to Royal Challengers followed, and after three seasons out, he is now back in the tournament with Supergiants.

KC Cariappa, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 2.4 Crore in 2015

Base Price : 10 Lakhs

Cariappa shot into the limelight after a handful of games for Bijapur Bulls in the Karnataka Premier League. He got his IPL break courtesy the Bulls analyst, who also happened to work for Kolkata Knight Riders. After a trial, the legspinner from Coorg had a dream auction, but he only played one game. He was picked by Kings XI Punjab the following season and picked up three wickets from five matches, leaking 9.35 runs per over.

Tyron Henderson, bought by Rajasthan Royals for INR 3.2 Crore ($ 650,000) in 2009

Base Price : $100,000 (INR 50 Lakhs)

Henderson's IPL jackpot came on the back of an impressive county season with Middlesex, apart from his reputation as a big hitting all-rounder in South African cricket. Rajasthan Royals, who have an eye for lesser-known talent, secured his services for a whopping $650,000. In an auction that had franchises hunting for bargains, Henderson's purchase price came as a surprise.

Sunil Narine, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 3.5 Crore ($700,000) in 2012

Base price : $50,000 (INR 25 Lakhs)

Narine had played a handful of limited-overs internationals before the 2012 auction, when Knight Riders were keen to start off on a clean slate after a series of middling seasons. At the insistence of newly-appointed captain Gautam Gambhir, the franchise went all out to get Narine. He responded with 24 wickets - the second-highest of the season - at a stunning economy rate of 5.47. It played a big part in Knight Riders lifting their maiden title and Narine was named Player of the Tournament. In retrospect, five seasons on, the most economical bowler in IPL history still seems a bargain, even at that price.

Krunal Pandya, bought by Mumbai Indians for INR 2 Crore in 2016

Base price : INR 10 Lakh

Krunal had been out of competitive cricket for over a year when Mumbai picked him up for 20 times his base price. Just the year before, his brother Hardik had gone for INR 10 Lakhs to the same franchise. Krunal became one of the surprise packages of the season, and made crucial contributions with bat and ball. He has been retained by Mumbai for the 2017 tournament.

Mohammad Siraj, bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 2.6 Crore in 2017

Base price : INR 20 Lakh

Siraj had an excellent domestic season that culminated in the Inter-State T20s, where he took nine wickets and proved miserly with an economy rate of 6.57 after five matches. His ability to adapt to all formats and put in clutch performances resulted in a mini-bidding war. He was eventually snapped up by his home franchise, and is likely to partner Mustafizur Rahman this season.

T Natarajan, bought by Kings XI Punjab for INR 3 Crore in 2017

Base price : INR 10 Lakh

A whippy left-arm medium pacer with a deadly in-swinger, Natarajan grabbed eyeballs during his stint with Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. In a Super Over against Tuti Patriots, he delivered six consecutive yorkers as his side successfully defended 12 runs. More recently, Natarajan was one of the stars in Tamil Nadu's run to the Ranji Trophy semi-final. With such consistent performances, he made it hard for IPL franchises to ignore his talent, and was eventually bought for 30 times his base price.