IPL Auction 2021 Latest News

South African off-roader Chris Morris is 33 years old, last appeared in an international game in 2019, he’s outside the top 20 in the ICC off-road rankings. He’s no longer wanted in the Big Bash League; He played nine games in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, scoring just 34 runs and matching 11 wickets. His recent numbers and injury history suggested a man stuttered toward the end of his career. However, he started a bidding war and emerged as the most expensive player in league history, when the Rajasthan Royals handed out Rs 16.25 crore to acquire his services.

If that sounds defiant of logic, Royal Challengers Bangalore spent Rs 15 crore to buy the untested New Zealand off-roader, Kyle Jamieson, before avoiding the fierce pursuit of Chennai Super Kings by the inconsistent Australian off-roader Glenn Maxwell, whom they pounced on. for Rs. 14.25 crore. Similarly, Mumbai Indians were willing to dispense Rs 5 crore for Nathan Coulter-Nile, Delhi Capitals Rs 5.25 crore for Tom Curran, and Punjab Kings Rs 4.20 crore for Moises Henriques. None of them are cricket immortal.

At the same time, the world’s number one T20I hitter, Englishman Dawid Malan, went for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore, and Australian stalwart Steve Smith got just Rs 2.20 crore without raising his eyebrows. Some big hitters like Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Aaron Finch (third-best hitter in the T20I ranking), and Kusal Perera didn’t have any catchers.

Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble spoke about how an auction “is not a true gauge” in terms of a player’s worth. As for Smith, a part of today’s hitting Beatles, Delhi Capitals assistant coach Mohammad Kaif said: “We were hoping to spend more money on him. We got it pretty cheap. “Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal said:” It was amazing getting Steve Smith. We’re surprised how he went for just Rs 2.2 crore, but getting a player of Steve Smith’s caliber is going to add a lot. to our team, a lot to our balance “.

The pattern comes as no surprise because that’s how IPL auctions worked, where supply and demand, and not always pedigree, dictated how franchises spent. Overseas fast bowling ATVs are the most in-demand stock and conversely the rarest breed in the game. So even if they’re over the top, injury-prone, or untested, franchises are inclined to spend exorbitant sums to gobble them up. Morris would be short of match fitness when he reaches the IPL; Jamieson has never played an international game outside of his country; Maxwell is notoriously temperamental.

But it hardly seems to matter. “He (Morris) is a quality bowler in every phase of the game, and he can beat our games with the bat, too,” Royals CEO Jake Lush McRum said. Mainly, they would be watching their death experience.

Another franchise official explained the logic that guides the auction. “The whole dynamics of the auction depends on the requirements and the utility. If a team seeks to have a certain type of player, then subject to the available portfolio, it can be great to have it, “he had told this newspaper.

The rationale was the same behind RCB’s decision to buy Maxwell, who has only sporadically shined. “It depends a lot on the role that each team wants him (Maxwell) to play. In our team, it could be used a lot as (a) finisher. Obviously, he’s a multi-skilled player, he’s good on the field, and obviously, he’s capable of shooting off-court. We all know how good the touch away from the IPL is, “RCB cricket director Mike Hesson said at a news conference.

The old script, new actors

In that sense, IPL auctions follow a long-established pattern. Off-road fast bowlers overseas would grab most of the attention and earn most of the money, followed by overseas fast bowlers like Riley Meredith (8 million rupees) and Jhye Richardson (14 million rupees). rupees) returning from injury. off-roaders like Moeen Ali (Rs 7 crore), Krishnapa Gowtham (Rs 9.25 crore), and Shakib-Al-Hasan (Rs 3.25 crore), and of course the poverty to riches narrative and a surprise national gamer without a cap getting a huge paycheck. That rare tribe of a mid-paced home bowling all-rounder, if they haven’t been taken yet, would also score a substantial sum. An example is Shivam Dube, whom the Rajasthan Royals bought for Rs 4.4 crore.

On Thursday, it was Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan’s turn to become a millionaire. It had set its base price at Rs 20 lakh, but the Punjab Kings outbid the rest to pocket it for Rs 5.25 crore. The 25-year-old has a reputation for finishing matches, which he had amply demonstrated against Himachal Pradesh in the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, in which he hit 40 undefeated against 19 balls. Other promising youngsters like Mohammed Azharuddin, M Siddharth, and Harishankar Reddy were also rewarded with contracts.

READ | 2021 IPL auction: ‘Morris mayhem, bowlers’ day out’

History from poverty to wealth

Then there is the moving story of Chetan Sakariya. The left-arm seamer hails from Vartej, a nondescript town in Bhavnagar. So devoid was his experience that forgetting to play, even watching cricket was a luxury since the Sakariya house had no television. Chetan’s father used to do odd jobs to support his family before the young man went to Bhavnagar to help his uncle, a stationery supplier, who in turn gave him money to play cricket and study. By pure chance, prominent coach Rajendra Gohil saw him and enrolled him in his academy, from where he was chosen to train at the MRF Pace Foundation. From there, he has not looked back.

The only purchase that bucked the trend was that of Cheteshwar Pujara, whom the franchises had incessantly rejected since 2014, gaining the attention of Chennai Super Kings this time. The last name to pass under the hammer was Arjun Tendulkar, whom the Mumbai Indians pocketed in an instant, unopposed. His career development would make an interesting script, but otherwise, the auction narrative that unfolded on Thursday was like any other auction day. The ingredients and flavors were very similar.