Each IPL auction brings a bagful of surprises along with it. It turns some players into superstars overnight while it pushes others into a corner. If you are Ben Stokes, a bid of ₹12.5 crores does not shock you anymore as you had already been given a fat paycheck of ₹14.5 crores the previous year. But this isn’t the case with others.
While there were players like Lasith Malinga and Shaun Marsh who were sidelined this year, there were some who were posed with such a bonanza that it took them days to sink the fact in. This article presents you three such players who could not believe their senses when they got to know their auction price.
1. Andrew Tye
When things are not going your way, they keep going south. But if you stick it out in such difficult times, you are bound to bounce back. After a slow start to his career, Andrew Tye is currently on a roll. Following a stellar performance for the Gujarat Lions in the previous season, the 31-year-old is having a terrific run of form in the Trans-Tasman T20I tri-series being played in Australia and New Zealand.
After the West Australian pacer was bought for 7.20 crores by the Kings XI Punjab in this year’s IPL, his statements were very telling. “It’s been a whirlwind tour from four or five years ago when I wasn’t even a professional, so (the IPL price is) unbelievable and a dream come true,” a shocked Andrew said.
2. Krishnappa Gowtham
Over the years, batsmen and overseas all-rounders have always been bought for hefty amounts in the IPL. However, with the upsurge of Indian all-rounders in the recent times, they have also become hot properties in the auctions. Krishnappa Gowtham is one such uncapped Indian off-spinning all-rounder who was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals for ₹6.2 crores.
“My name popped up and there was no bidder for the first 20-30 seconds. Those 20 seconds felt like 20-25 minutes to me. But I need to thank Rajasthan Royals for showing belief in my ability. My parents didn’t expect that I would go for this amount. Now I can now fulfil whatever I have dreamt of,” said an emotional Gowtham.
3. Jaydev Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat is having the time of his life of late. Just after being included in India’s squad for the three-match T20I series in South Africa, he was picked for a record-breaking ₹11.5 crores by Rajasthan Royals. Given that the Saurashtra lad was bought for a meagre sum of ₹30 lakhs in the previous edition by Rising Pune Supergiant, an almost forty-fold increase is awe-inspiring.
After the windfall, Unadkat said, “I was sure that I would get some good pickings as I had kept my base price at ₹1.5 crore. I was hopeful a couple of teams would go after me but it is actually overwhelming for me to get the price that I finally went for. It will be dumb if I say that I was expecting it. No one could have imagined that.”