Top 5 Uncapped Players Who Went Big in IPL Auctions
Published - 30 Nov 2019, 11:27 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:02 AM
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Over the years, T20 franchise cricket has proved to be a happy hunting ground not only for already established players but also for some of the unknown athletes. The inception of the Indian Premier League has witnessed some of the mysterious players emerging out of nowhere to bag a million-dollar IPL contract. They went on to leapfrog several popular faces to become a million-dollar baby.
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This tactic to unleash the unknown by purchasing them for a hefty price has worked on a few occasions. On the other hand, in certain cases, the franchises are left to bear the brunt of investing and are thus forced to release them. The previous season was a notable instance where a rookie was bought for an enormous amount but had to be liberated after his faulty display in the tournament.
We take a look at the Top 5 uncapped players who received a heavy price in the IPL auction.
5) Shivam Dube – INR 5 crores
Shivam Dube was in blistering touch with the bat during the Ranji Trophy in 2018 and the Mumbai T20 League. In the Ranji Trophy and Mumbai T20 League, the all-rounder smashed five sixes twice in an over. The T20 league 2018 saw the 26-year old getting crowned as the man of the tournament for scoring 213 runs in eight matches and snapping 12 wickets. The Mumbai-born amassed 213 runs at a strike rate of 178.99.
Dube was also the leading wicket-taker for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy 2018, claiming 23 wickets in eight games. Dube was purchased for a mind-boggling amount of INR 5 crores by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, he couldn’t set the stage on fire in the Indian Premier League, scoring only 40 runs in four matches and taking no wickets.
4) Ishan Kishan for INR 6.2 crores
Ishan Kishan had a decent T20 record with a strike rate of 130.83. He did show glimpses and plenty of potential in the T20 extravaganza but only had one massive score to his name of 113. He scored an unbeaten 113 off 62 balls in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2018-19. In the auction ahead of the 2018 season, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai engaged themselves in a bidding war to rope in the keeper-batsman.
The 21-year old was finally pocketed by Mumbai Indians for a sum of INR 6.2 crores. In the 2018 season, Kishan’s average stood at 22.92; however, his strike rate was close to 150, scoring 275 runs in 14 games.
3) Jofra Archer for 7.2 crores
Jofra Archer came into the auction as one of the most demanded players. Born in Barbados and moved to England post that, the speedster had played in the T20 Vitality Blast, Bangladesh Premier League, and subsequently for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.
The 24-year old had built his reputation as one of the fastest bowlers along with the ability to strike big in the death overs. Rajasthan Royals sealed his deal in the 2018 auction for a price of INR 7.2 crores. He impressed straight away, snaring 15 wickets in 10 games that season. Archer proved equally useful in the last season, picking up 11 wickets in 10 matches.
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2) Varun Chakravarthy for INR 8.4 crores:
Varun Chakravarthy had put some noteworthy performances in the Tamil Nadu Premier League edition of 2017-18. His economy rate of 4.7 was one of the best in the tournament. However, little did anyone imagine that he would draw enormous bids.
The “mystery” spinner ended up taking INR 8.4 crores by Kings XI Punjab and was the second most for an uncapped player in IPL history. However, on the contrary, he flopped big time, playing only one game and taking no wicket.
1) Krunal Pandya for INR 8.8 crores:
Krunal Pandya has proved to be one of the vital cogs in the Mumbai Indians line-up. In 2018 before getting released, the left-arm spinner was fetched for a price of INR 2 cores over his base price of 10 lakh. Ahead of the 2018 season, Mumbai Indians won his services yet again using the right to match card for a hefty amount of INR 8.8 crores, emerging triumphant in the intense bidding wars.
Batting at the lower order, Krunal Pandya used to strike at nearly 150. He also used to chip in with useful wickets at crucial times, and his athleticism on the field was an added bonus. The 28-year old scored 183 runs in the previous season of the IPL at a strike rate of 122 and snared 12 wickets in 16 games. Gradually, based on his exploits in the cash-rich league, he made his T20 debut for India in November 2018.
