The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction held at the Coca-Cola arena in Dubai had its own thrills, frenzies, drama and action.
Though Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins hogged the limelight by striking mega bucks deals, there were many other players who earned surprised calls and fat pay cheques.
Here, we take a look at five surprise buys from the IPL 2024 auction.
Spencer Johnson (Rs 10 cr, Gujarat Titans)
2022 IPL champions Gujarat Titans threw in a surprise by roping in Spencer Johnson. The left-arm quick who excelled for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL) had started with a base price of just Rs 50 lakh, but ended up raking the moolah after being snapped by Titans who fended off a stiff challenge from Delhi Capitals. In his fledgling T20 career, Johnson has taken 17 wickets and has represented Australia in one ODI and two T20Is. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able replicate his BBL heroics in the IPL.
Sameer Rizvi (Rs 8.40 cr, Chennai Super Kings)
At just 20 years of age, Rizvi became the most expensive players from the uncapped lot. After starting with a base price of Rs 20 lakhs, the Uttar Pradesh batter found luck riding his way. The 277 runs (including two half-centuries) that he scored in seven innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, this season, at an average of 69.25 and a strike rate of 139.89, seems to have tilted the scales in his favour.
Shahrukh Khan (Rs 7.40 cr, Gujarat Titans)
Though the other Shahrukh is more familiar, this Khan too can do the magic, that too with both the willow and the ball. The 28-year-old all-rounder was the highest wicket-taker in the 2023 Tamil Nadu Premier League season. With Hardik Pandya moving to Mumbai Indians, there is every chance that he will have big shoes to fill and the expectations too will be high on him. With the senior team also looking out for a good all-rounder, this is the best chance for the former Punjab Kings player to prove his mettle.
Kumar Kushagra (Rs 7.20 cr, Delhi Capitals)
Jharkhand wicketkeeper/batter Kumar Kushaara linked up with the Delhi-based franchise for a whopping figure. The 19-year-old was the sixth-highest run getter in the 2023 Deodhar Trophy season with 227 runs in five innings at a strike rate 109.13. Kushagra was a part of India’s Under-19 World Cup squad in 2020. Rather than just adding a wicket-keeper to their roster, Delhi, who warded off stiff resistance from Chennai, will also be looking at Kushagra’s fiery technique with the willow.
Yash Dayal (Rs 5 cr, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The youngster has still been trying to erase the bad memories of last year’s IPL when, as a Gujarat Titans bowler, he was clobbered by Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh forfive sixes. Keyboard warriors went berserk in social media as RCB was engaged in a bidding war with the Titans itself before snapping Dayal. After a poor 2023 IPL season, Dayal returned to domestic cricket and redeemed himself with decent performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which seems to have convinced the RCB bosses to sign him.
(Published 19 December 2023, 16:34 IST)