2023 has been a revelation for Australia's Travis Head.
Head has made heads turn this calendar year after intent-driven performances showing his big-match temperament. He was critical to the Australians' fortunes in the World Test Championship final against India, hitting a counter-attacking century to help his team lift the Test mace.
Later in the year, he made his mark in the ICC World Cup in India.
He missed the first two matches due to injury and with his return to the team, Pat Cummins's team's fortunes turned and how! He played a pivotal role to help his team to the World Cup title -- he hit a match-winning 120-ball 137 to help Australia win the final vs India -- and thus become a leading contender to start a bidding war at the Indian Premier League auction.
That is exactly how things panned out on Tuesday, in Dubai. He was the first Australian and third player to go under the hammer.
With a base price of 2 crore (Rs 20 million), there were no bids for the first two minutes but soon an intense bidding war broke out between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Chennai Super Kings.
Eventually, Hyderabad got their man for Rs 6.80 crore (Rs 68 million).
'We really wanted him (Travis Head) because we needed an opening left-handed batter. Adding to that he can bowl spin as well,' SRH's Spin Bowling Coach Muttiah Muralitharan told JioCinema's Match Center Live Auction Special.
'I never thought we would get him for that price because of his performance being tremendous in the last couple of years in T20Is and ODIs for Australia,' Murali added.
Interestingly, Head went unsold at last year's auction. How fortunes have changed in a year!
