Ben Stokes became the most expensive overseas player at an IPL auction when he was signed for a jaw-dropping ₹14.5 crore here on Monday. The explosive English all-rounder was bought by the Rising Pune Supergiants after an intense bidding war, at the tenth edition of one of cricket's most eagerly anticipated annual spectacles.
“We have many heroes but this is the one hero we were lacking,” Sanjiv Goenka, the RPS owner, said later. “Ben Stokes was our first, second and third preference.”
Tymal Mills, another Englishman, was sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹12 crore. The left-arm quick, who has built a reputation as a T20 specialist, was pursued by five teams before RCB sealed the deal. Karn Sharma, meanwhile, became the costliest Indian player on the day, attracting a hefty bid of ₹3.2 crore.
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Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan Arman became the first players from Afghanistan in the IPL, after their services were acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad. Arman, an 18-year-old leg-spinner, fetched a remarkable ₹4 crore. The UAE’s Chirag Suri became the third cricketer from one of the ICC’s Associate members to find a team at the auction, when he went to Gujarat Lions. “This will enhance the prospects for cricket in the sub-continent,” remarked IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla.
A total of 66 players were bought, with the eight franchises spending a sum of ₹91.15 crore on the day.
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A few surprises
There were a few surprises — while uncapped Indian players made huge gains, some established faced the ignominy of remaining unsold. T. Natarajan, a 25-year-old left-arm seamer from Salem, earned 30 times his base price of ₹10 lakh.
Hyderabad’s Mohammed Siraj was bought for a tidy ₹2.6 crore (SRH), and Karnataka's K. Gowtham for ₹2 crore (MI), both players rewarded for their Ranji Trophy performances.
Rajasthan’s Aniket Choudhary (RCB) also struck it rich, his value rising from ₹10 lakh to ₹2 crore in quick time.
However, Ishant Sharma, a veteran of 74 Tests and 80 ODIs, remained unsold at a base price of ₹2 crore. Cheteshwar Pujara, Irfan Pathan, England's Jonny Bairstow, and South Africa's Imran Tahir endured similar disappointment.