IPL 2021: I Was Not Expecting To Get Picked Up At All - Moises Henriques After Being Bought For INR 4.2 Crore By Punjab Kings
Published - 03 Mar 2021, 04:12 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:41 AM
Australian all-rounder, Moises Henriques was left surprised at being bought in IPL 2021 auction, let alone for more than 4 times his base price. He was bagged by Punjab Kings at the auction table for Rs. 4.2 crore after a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore, who were also hunting for an all-rounder – which they got later in the form of Daniel Christian.
Moises Henriques last played an IPL game back in 2017 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. If he features in any game this season, it would be the fifth franchise Henriques would appear for after Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad having made his IPL debut in 2009.
The Australian was part of David Warner’s team which won the title in 2016. And while he hasn’t played a single game in the last three seasons, Moises Henriques has been brilliant in the Big Bash League (BBL) leading his side, Sydney Sixers to back-to-back titles and has also made a comeback in the national team despite the presence of other superstar all-rounders.
“I was not expecting to get picked up at all. It wasn’t until I woke up to go to the bathroom that I noticed I saw a couple of messages saying congrats on the pick-up and I thought, ‘That’s nice,’ and tried to go back to sleep as soon as possible.
“I just assumed I would have been picked up at base price. Then it wasn’t until I woke up properly in the morning that I realised how much I went for,” Moises Henriques told cricket.com.au.
By not playing, someone else gets that opportunity: Moises Henriques
The 34-year-old is upset that he could not be in New Zealand where Australia is currently playing a T20I series. Henriques was selected for the tour of South Africa for a Test series, but the tour got postponed due to the covid-19 concerns – hence, he could not be selected in the T20I team as well to take on the neighbouring nation as both the series would have clashed.
“There’s no secret I was gutted when you fight your way into the international white-ball teams and then you get selected to go to South Africa and that tour doesn’t go ahead, and you don’t get your opportunity to defend your spot in that (T20) team when it goes to New Zealand.
“By not playing, someone else gets that opportunity – and deservedly so. But the IPL is more T20 cricket, more white-ball cricket for me to play and learn from. If I do get that opportunity (for Australia) in the future, then I’d be ready to go,” Moises Henriques further added.
