Out of favour Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads Indian pacers' 'Pay Day' at IPL mega-auction
Out of national reckoning for more than two years, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's experience was in demand among the IPL franchises with Royal Challengers Bengaluru buying him for Rs 10.75 crore as lesser-fancied Indian fast bowlers hit pay dirt on the second day of the mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday.
The Mumbai troika of Shardul Thakur, Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane along with New Zealand stars Kane Williamson and Glenn Phillips were among the unsold players.
Bhuvneshwar, who will be 35 before the start of next IPL, has 300 wickets from 287 career T20 games and an economy rate of less than eight. But he last played for India during a tour of New Zealand in November 2022 and is considered well past his prime at the international level.
However, with at least three Indian pacers needed per team, the pool is not large enough to ensure equal distribution among the 10 teams.
Therefore, an out-of-favour Bhuvneshwar, an injury-prone Deepak Chahar (Rs 9.25 crore for Mumbai Indians) and a Test reserve Mukesh Kumar (Rs eight crore RTM by Delhi Capitals) got good deals on the second day when franchises came with leaner purse after splurging away on Sunday.
Akash Deep, the Test pacer, got a Rs eight crore deal from Lucknow Super Giants.
What works for Chahar and Bhuvneshwar is their ability to swing the white ball in Powerplays. Mukesh has takers for his wide yorkers at the death.
Even a Tushar Deshpande, who has an economy rate of close to 10 runs per over, was snapped by Rajasthan Royals at Rs 6.50 crore. He is currently recuperating from an ankle operation.
Punjab Kings Continue Spending Spree
Punjab Kings remained active in the market, acquiring South African pacer Marco Jansen for Rs 7 crore. Other notable buys included Krunal Pandya, picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 5.75 crore, and Nitish Rana, who joined Rajasthan Royals for Rs 4.20 crore.
Big Names Go Unsold, Sundar Finds a Buyer
Despite the frenzy, some big names like Ajinkya Rahane, Kane Williamson, Prithvi Shaw, and Shardul Thakur surprisingly found no takers. New Zealand stars Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell, along with West Indies' Shai Hope and Australia's Alex Carey, also went unsold. However, Gujarat Titans snapped up Washington Sundar for Rs 3.20 crore.
Veterans Faf du Plessis and Rovman Powell were picked up for Rs 2 crore by Delhi Capitals and Rs 1.50 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively. England’s Sam Curran joined Chennai Super Kings for Rs 2.40 crore.
Record-Breaking Day 1 Highlights
Day 1 of the auction witnessed record-breaking moments as Rishabh Pant became the costliest player in IPL history, going to Lucknow Super Giants for a staggering Rs 27 crore, surpassing Shreyas Iyer’s Rs 26.75 crore bid by Punjab Kings.
A surprise highlight was Venkatesh Iyer’s return to Kolkata Knight Riders for a jaw-dropping Rs 23.75 crore, solidifying his status as a hot commodity in the auction.
Accelerated Auction Awaits
Unsold players like Rahane, Williamson, and others might yet find buyers later in the accelerated auction if franchises decide to revisit their names.
The IPL auction continues to deliver drama, surprises, and record-setting deals, as teams fine-tune their squads for the upcoming season.
