IPL 2024 Auction: Who Is Kumar Kushagra? The Wicketkeeper-Batter Who Was Bought By DC For 7.2 Crores

Kumar Kushagra, the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman was roped in by Delhi Capitals at the IPL 2024 auction for a whopping 7.20 crores. His base price was 20 lakhs and his final price was much more than anyone would have anticipated. 

Kushagra, the 19-year-old hails from Bokaro Jharkhand. He made his List A debut on 20 February 2021, for Jharkhand in the 2020–21 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Prior to his debut, he was named in India’s squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

He has already represented the Jharkhand state team and India U-19 team. Reports further say that the youngster was personally visited by CSK scouts as he couldn’t come for the trials. However, he was finally picked up by the Delhi Capitals. 

The youngsters had not played too much of domestic cricket, playing just 13 First-Class matches, 23 List A matches, and 11 T20Is. In total, he has scored nearly 1600 runs. Also, he has scored one century and 11 fifties across formats and is considered someone with good batting potential. 

Kumar Kushagra Joins Delhi Capital For IPL 2024

Kushagra is the third wicketkeeper-batter for Delhi Capitals alongside skipper Rishabh Pant and Abhishek Porel who kept for the Capitals last season in the absence of Pant. The southpaw is expected to be back in the Delhi Capitals playing XI in IPL 2024 and hence the Jharkand keeper-batter was bought in as a backup option. 

Apart from the youngster, Delhi Capitals invested in players like English batter Harry Brook, who was roped in by the Delhi Capitals for 4 crores. Tristan Stubbs was the other overseas player who was roped in by DC for 50 lakhs. 

Delhi Capitals headed into the IPL 2024 auction with a remaining purse of 28.95 crores. They retained 16 players and needed nine players at the start of the auction. Speaking about the IPL 2024 auction, Mitchell Starc at 24.75 crores was the highest-paid player in this auction. His Australian skipper Pat Cummins was roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad for 20. 50 crores. 

The likes of Gerald Coetzee, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Travis Head, and Chris Woakes all found a franchise. While Head joined SRH for 6.80, Coetzee was picked up by Mumbai Indians for 5 crores. Among the Indian domestic players, Harshal Patel, Umesh Yadav, and Jaydev Unadkat, the veteran pacers all founded franchises. Among the young bowlers Chetan Sakariya and Katik Tyagi found franchises as well. Sakariya was picked up by KKR while Tyagi went to the Titans. Yash Dayal the former GT pacer found a new home at RCB.

Delhi Capitals players bought at IPL 2024 Auction: Harry Brook (Rs. 4 crore), Tristan Stubbs (Rs. 50 lakh), Ricky Bhui (Rs. 20 lakh), Kumar Kushagra (Rs. 7.2 crore), Rasikh Dar (Rs. 20 lakh)

Players retained by DC ahead of IPL 2024 Auction: Rishabh Pant, Pravin Dubey, David Warner, Vicky Ostwal, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Lungi Ngidi, Lalit Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mitchell Marsh, Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Mukesh Kumar.

Players Released by DC: Aman Khan, Chetan Sakariya, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Manish Pandey, Mustafizur Rahman, Phil Salt, Priyam Garg, Rilee Rossouw, Ripal Patel, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan

Also Read: Tristan Stubbs Bought By Delhi Capitals For 50 Lakhs In IPL Auction 2024