IPL 2022: KL Rahul becomes most-expensive IPL player, will earn more than Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni

The Indian Premier League (IPL) two new teams -- Ahmedabad and Lucknow on Friday (January 22) officially named their draft picks ahead of the upcoming mega auction for the IPL 2022 season.

The RPSG group-owned Lucknow franchise signed KL Rahul for Rs 17 crore, Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis for Rs 9.2 crore, and uncapped leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi for Rs 4 crore. They will make the rest of their squad at the mega auction scheduled in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

Notably, the deal means that KL Rahul is now the joint-highest-paid player in the IPL across seasons, along with Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli, who was also signed for Rs 17 crore by Royal Challengers in 2018.

However, Kohli has been retained for Rs 15 crore by RCB ahead of the IPL 2022 auction which means that Rahul is currently the most expensive IPL player and he will even earn more than CSK skipper MS Dhoni, who has been retained for Rs 12 crore by the franchise.

29-year-old Rahul has been one of the most consistent batters in the IPL since 2018. The opener led Punjab Kings in the last two seasons but he wanted a change and was subsequently released by the management.

Also, Rahul, who has so far played 94 matches in IPL and has 3,273 runs to his name at an average of over 41, will lead the Lucknow franchise while former India batter Gautam Gambhir will serve as the mentor of the team. Andy Flower has already been named the coach of the Lucknow franchise, which will enter next month's mega auction with Rs 59.89 crore in their purse.

Meanwhile, the CVC Capital, owners of Ahmedabad picked Hardik Pandya (Rs 15 crore), Rashid Khan (Rs 15 crore), and Shubman Gill (Rs 8 crore) in their team. All-rounder Hardik, who was released by Mumbai Indians, will also lead the team in this IPL season.