IPL 2021 Auction: A look at the key takeaways
The player auction for the 2021 Indian Premier League concluded with Mumbai Indians buying Arjun Tendulkar for Rs. 20 lakh. A total of 57 players were bought, and Rs. 145.3 crore was spent at the mini-auction. South African all-rounder Chris Morris, who was released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, became the most expensive signing in the IPL history. Here are the key takeaways.
A look at the top four expensive buys
The final bid of Morris topped the record of Yuvraj Singh (Rs. 16 crore by DC in 2015). The likes of Kyle Jamieson (Rs. 15 crore) and Glenn Maxwell (Rs. 14.25 crore) too attracted massive bids. The duo was sold to RCB. Meanwhile, Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson turned out to be the fourth-most expensive signing (sold to Punjab Kings for Rs. 14 crore).
Maxwell crosses Rs. 10 crore-mark for the second time
Maxwell had kept his base price Rs. 2 crore. However, he was sold for a whopping Rs. 14.25 crore following an intense bidding war. He had earlier fetched prices of Rs. 6 crore (PK, 2014), Rs. 9 crore (DC, 2018), Rs. 10.75 crore (PK, 2020).
Highest-earning uncapped player in IPL auction history
Karnataka all-rounder K Gowtham claimed the highest-ever price by an uncapped player after Chennai Super Kings acquired him for Rs. 9.25 crore. An effective off-spinner and explosive lower-order batsman, Gowtham, will certainly strengthen the spin department of CSK for the impending season. Gowtham was with Punjab Kings in the last edition, and has also represented the Rajasthan Royals previously.
Shahrukh Khan, Shivam Dube secure whopping deals
Tamil Nadu finisher Shahrukh Khan landed a deal of Rs. 5.25 crores with Punjab Kings. The 24-year-old gave a glimpse of his batting abilities in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, India all-rounder Shivam Dube, who was released by RCB after a lacklustre season in 2020, was signed by the Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 4.4 crores.
Smith picked by DC, Malan goes to Punjab Kings
Australia's Steve Smith was sold to Delhi Capitals (Rs. 2.2 crore), who already have a top-heavy batting line-up. He was sacked as a captain by the RR after the 2020 edition, and was later released from the roster. Meanwhile, the number one T20I batsman Dawid Malan was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs. 1.5 crore. He is set to play his maiden IPL season.
Pujara, Jadhav, Chawla and Harbhajan claim deals
In a surprising move, Cheteshwar Pujara was acquired by the CSK for his base price of Rs. 50 lakh. This will be his maiden IPL stint since 2014. The out-of-form Kedar Jadhav (SRH for Rs. 2 crore) and Piyush Chawla (MI for Rs. 2.4 crore) also found franchises. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was also picked by the KKR (Rs. 2 crore) toward the auction's end.
Mumbai Indians include Arjun Tendulkar in the roster
Arjun Tendulkar, the son of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, entered the auction pool on the back of his T20 debut with Mumbai In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was the final signing of the day as Mumbai Indians picked him up at his base price of Rs. 20 lakh. The 21-year-old would hope to follow his father's footsteps in his maiden IPL season.
A look at the IPL 2021 Auction summary
CSK: 25 players, Rs. 2.55 crore remaining DC: 25 players, Rs. 2.15 crore remaining KKR: 25 players, Rs. 3.2 crore remaining MI: 25 players, Rs. 3.65 crore remaining PK: 25 players, Rs. 18.8 crore remaining RR: 24 players, Rs. 13.65 crore RCB: 22 players, Rs. 35 lakh remaining SRH: 25 players, Rs. 6.95 crore remaining
