'Owners Didn't Take Gamble': Ricky Ponting Reveals Travis Head Was On DC's Radar In IPL 2023 Auction
Published - 24 Nov 2023, 04:19 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:23 AM
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting expressed that opener Travis Head might attract a big deal in the upcoming IPL 2024 mini-auction. Ricky Ponting revealed that he would have picked Travis Head for the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the last season, but the batter’s wedding plans interfered.
The 29-year-old delivered an outstanding performance in the 2023 World Cup final against India. The southpaw scored 137 off 120 balls and also took a crucial catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma. He was named the Player of the Match in Australia’s sixth World Cup title victory.
Travis Head Would Have Had A Deal Last Year – Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting, coach of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, believes that Travis Head is in a prime position to secure an IPL contract for the upcoming edition. Ponting emphasized that the left-handed batter has done everything right to earn a deal.
“Travis has done everything right to make sure he gets a deal this year. He would have had a deal last year if it wasn’t for his wedding. His wedding got in the middle of it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pick him up at Delhi,” Ponting told 7NEWS.
“I rang him and told him I was going for him in the auction, and he said, ‘just to let you know, I’m getting married two weeks into the IPL.’ He would have missed three weeks at start of tournament, which our owners weren’t willing to take that gamble on.”
Travis Head had a single IPL stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2016 and 2017. The Australian opening batter scored 205 runs in 10 IPL games at a strike rate of 139.81. He remained unsold in the last auction with a base price of ₹2 crore.
There’ll Be A Few Questions – Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting stated that questions will be raised about the participation of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the IPL auction, given their busy schedule. He mentioned that the Australian team will tour New Zealand before the T20 World Cup in 2024.
“They go to NZ after the summer, then IPL, then T20 World Cup after that … there’ll be a few questions asked of the high performances guys at Cricket Australia as to what the expectations might and might not be for fast bowlers in the IPL auction,” Ponting further stated.
Also read: Travis Head Will Get Lucrative IPL Deal: Michael Vaughan
