Tamil Nadu cricketer Shahrukh Khan saw his fortunes change at the 2021 IPL Auction at Chennai on Thursday, 18 February.
The all-rounder was picked by Punjab Kings for a huge sum of Rs 5.25 crore.
Khan, who had a base price of Rs 20 lakh, saw three teams trying to bag him at the auction.
This is the first time the uncapped player will be part of the India Premier League.
After the fierce bidding war for him, Punjab Kings owner Preity Zinta could be seen exclaiming, “We got Shahrukh!”
One could say Khan was a surprise entrant, considering he batted in just four innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year with a high score of 40*. However, he had a huge role to play in Tamil Nadu’s title-winning run, including a crucial knock in the finals against Baroda.
Batting in the lower middle order, Khan started the edition with a quick 4-ball 12 and followed it up with an unbeaten 18 in 10 balls against Odisha. His knock of an unbeaten 40 off 19 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes arrived in the quarter finals when Tamil Nadu were struggling at 66 for 5 in 13 overs while chasing 135 while he played his part in the finals as well, hitting 18* in just 7 balls to take his team over the line.
The 25-year-old might not have big runs courtesy his batting position, but he managed to prove his ability to remain calm under pressure throughout the tournament.
He picked the lines and lengths with ease and remained composed with his stroke play even in pressure situations, and it would be a surprise if Khan does not attract bids in the auctions. He is yet to play in the IPL.
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