Natarajan, Gowtham: Uncapped Players Turn Crorepatis in Auction

Take a look at the uncapped players that have turned crorepatis in this year’s IPL auction.
Rohan Pathak
Sports
Updated:
Krishnappa Gowtham (centre) walks off the field after a Ranji Trophy match. (Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Karnataka Ranji Team)
Krishnappa Gowtham (centre) walks off the field after a Ranji Trophy match. (Photo Courtesy: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KarnatakaRanjiTeam/photos/a.388998054482448.86444.281757881873133/1118416344873945/?type=3&amp;theater">Facebook/Karnataka Ranji Team</a>)
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Any sports team in the world cannot be only about the big players and the teams which have a good balance between big players and raw talents make for a dangerous side.

Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to place big bets on some of the uncapped players.

Here’s a look at the big buys in the uncapped players bracket.

Rashid Khan – Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rashid Khan has played 21 T20s for Afghanistan but even then he was placed under the uncapped players bracket. Nevertheless, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have decided to trust the leg-spinner and have bought him for Rs 4 crore. The 18-year-old is the most expensive uncapped player so far in the IPL auction 2017.

The Afghani bowler has a very impressive bowling average of 14.8 and has taken 47 wickets in 30 T20 matches.

T Natarajan – Kings XI Punjab

(Photo: Rahul Gupta/The Quint)

Not quite sure what the Kings XI Punjab have seen in Tamil Nadu’s T Natarajan, but they have gone ahead and bought him for Rs 3 crore.

Natarajan, who is a left-arm medium fast bowler, has played only five T20 matches in his career. He has picked up four wickets at an average of 35.25.

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Mohammed Siraj – Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Sunrisers Hyderabad have picked up another uncapped player for a high price. While Rashid Khan is a decent choice, the Hyderabad team may have gone a bit too far to buy the medium fast bowler Mohammed Siraj for Rs 2.6 crore.

The 22-year-old has played only 10 T20s in his career so far and has picked up 16 wickets at an average of 17.18.

Krishnappa Gowtham – Mumbai Indians

(Photo: Rahul Gupta/The Quint)

The Mumbai Indians have placed their bets on Karnataka’s off-break bowler Krishnappa Gowtham. He has been bought for Rs 2 crore.

The 28-year-old has played 20 T20 matches, in which he has scalped 16 wickets at an average of 26.75.

Aniket Choudhary – Royal Challengers Bangalore

The Royal Challengers Bangalore have always had a terrific batting line-up in Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers but since they have a weak bowling line-up, they lost many matches before reaching the final of the tournament last year.

Therefore, RCB have made a good decision to buy the left-arm medium fast bowler Aniket Choudhary for Rs 2 crore.

The 27-year-old has taken 33 wickets in 26 T20 matches at an impressive average of 22.00.

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

Published: 20 Feb 2017,01:58 PM IST

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