From India's Under-19 World Cup stars to domestic and foreign recruits, uncapped players were highly sought after by the eight franchisees during auction for the eleventh season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rookie players, both Indian and overseas, turned millionaires overnight in the auction being held in Bengaluru on 27 and 28 January. However, it was Krunal Pandya who attracted a major bidding war between franchisees, eventually creating history as the costliest uncapped buy in IPL history.
Here’s a look at seven uncapped players who’ve attracted the highest bids at the IPL 2018 auction so far.
1. Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya became the costliest uncapped buy in IPL history, going for a whopping Rs 8.8 crore to Mumbai Indians. The all-rounder was expected to be retained by Mumbai Indians, after his impressive performance in last year’s season where he picked up 10 wickets and scored a total of 243 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 135.75.
Coming into this year’s auction at a base price of Rs 40 lakh – the maximum for an uncapped player – Krunal surpassed Pawan Negi who was bought by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 8.5 crore in the 2016 auction.
Mumbai Indians exercised the Right to Match for Krunal after a bidding war broke out between Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Krunal remaining at Mumbai Indians also means that he and his brother, Hardik Pandya, will play for the same IPL team again.
Catch live updates from Day 2 of IPL Auction 2018 here.
2. Jofra Archer
Little-known Jofra Archer from the West Indies attracted a massive Rs 7.2 crore winning bid from Rajasthan Royals in the IPL auction. The 22-year-old all-rounder has become one of the most sought after cricketers in T20 leagues across the world.
He has picked up 40 wickets in 34 T20 games of the Big Bash League at an average of 23.60, economy of 7.81, and strike rate of 18.1. He also plays first-class cricket for Sussex in England.
3. Ishan Kishan
Former India Under-19 captain Ishan Kishan was sold to Mumbai Indians for Rs 6.2 crore, more than 15 times his base price of Rs 40 lakh. The Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman was the third-highest bid among uncapped players.
Kishan was picked up by Gujarat Lions for Rs 35 lakh in the 2016 IPL auction when he was just 17-year-old, and scored a total of 277 runs in 10 innings in the 2017 edition. The young opener recently also scored two half-centuries in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.
4. D’Arcy Short
Australian left-hand batsman D'Arcy Short was rewarded for his batting exploits in the Big Bash League with a Rs 4.4 crore pay packet from Rajasthan Royals. He is also quite useful as a chinaman.
The 27-year-old, who is yet to play an international, is currently the highest scorer in the BBL, and also the man with most runs in a single edition of the tournament’s history. He has 504 runs to his name in 10 matches, an average of 56 and a strike rate of 147.80, which also includes a century and three 50s.
5. K Gowtham
The uncapped off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham was bagged by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 6.2 crore after an intense bidding war. Gowtham has picked up 20 wickets in 27 T20 matches at an average of 28.95.
Last year’s round too, Gowtham was one of the few surprise bids – coming to the auction at a base price of Rs 10 lakh and going to Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 2 crore.
6. Siddarth Kaul
Fast bowler Siddarth Kaul was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a massive Rs 3.8 crore. The 27-year-old Punjab cricketer has recorded a bowling average of 23.42 and was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s third-highest wicket taker, picking up 16 wicket in 10 matches at an average of 18.75.
7. Deepak Hooda
Known to be a big-hitter since his Under-19 days, Baroda all-rounder Deepak Hooda was retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping Rs 3.6 crore. In 2016, the David Warner-led franchise had picked the 22-year-old for a whopping Rs 4.2 crore – 42 times his base price of Rs 10 lakh. In the two editions of the league since, he has scored 222 runs and picked up five wickets in 27 matches.
With scores of 75, 51 and 100 in the Ranji Trophy last year as well as two half-centuries in four Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches is going to make Hooda one to watch out for in IPL 2018.
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