The IPL auction in Chennai on Thursday saw Chris Morris fetching 22 times his base price (Rs 75 lakh) for the highest-ever bid in IPL history at Rs 16.25 lakh, as Rajasthan Royals picked the South African fast bowling all-rounder after an intense bidding war with Kings XI Punjab. Yuvraj Singh had held the previous all-time record with Rs 16 crore, which Delhi Daredevils had paid him in 2015.
There were also uncapped players who struck gold at the IPL auction on Thursday. Here’s a list of four Indian players:
Krishnappa Gowtham
Base price: Rs 20 lakh, bought for Rs 9.25 crore by Chennai Super Kings
Style: Spin All-rounder
The 32-year-old Karnataka all-rounder is not new to IPL, having played for multiple teams, most recently Kings XI Punjab. Chennai Super Kings found merit in his ability to spin the ball and come up with the big shots when required. He has dismissed India skipper Virat Kohli too, a couple of times with his off-spin.
Released by Kings XI Punjab, the hefty deal with CSK must have surprised even Gowtham himself. He has 1045 runs with one century from 42 First Class games apart from 166 wickets.
Shahrukh Khan
Base price: Rs 20 lakh, bought for Rs 5.25 crore by Kings XI Punjab
Style: Spin All-rounder
Named after a Bollywood heart-throb, the young Tamil Nadu batsman earned a reputation of being a smart finisher with his big-hitting ability. The 25-year-old played a key role in his side winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) this year. He went unsold in the auction last time but his sparkling show at SMAT made it difficult to ignore him.
In five First Class games, he has two half-centuries including an unbeaten 92.
Mohammed Azharuddeen
Base price: Rs 20 lakh, bought on base price by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Style: Wicket-keeper batsman
One of those batsmen who caught the eye in this year's SMAT was 22-year-old Kerala batsman Azharuddeen. His route to fame was a sensational 37-ball century against Mumbai. Named after the former India captain, Azharuddeen's average of 25.91 in 22 First Class games and 22.25 in 24 List A matches, is not impressive but he played a knock that could well prove to be life-changing.
Chetan Sakariya
Base Price: Rs 20 lakh, bought for Rs 1.2 Crore by Rajasthan Royals
Style: Left-arm pacer
The 22-year old Saurashtra pacer has emerged from a humble background, growing up in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. His family did not have a TV till last year and had to depend on neighbours to watch him in action. He made an impression at the Cooch Behar Trophy and also got to train at MRF Pace academy under Australian legend Glenn McGrath.