IPL 2020: 5 costliest buys at the auction and how they'll improve their respective franchises
The IPL Auction 2020 just culminated a while ago in Kolkata and it delivered the right dosage of shock, exhilaration and drama that it had promised.
We saw three players breach the ₹10 crore mark and also witnessed uncapped Indians being sold for exorbitant amounts, with all of the franchises committed to making smart investments with an eye on the future.
Like every year, this instalment of the auction also saw some breath-taking bidding wars take place between the franchises.
From the Kolkata Knight Riders’ late ambush to acquire Pat Cummins to the surprising battle between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings for the signature of Aussie all-rounder Nathan Coulter-Nile, there were some standout moments in today’s auction which made it a thoroughly enjoyable affair.
The auction delivered it’s fair share of shocks as well, and perhaps the biggest of them all was the lack of competition Kings XI Punjab faced for New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who was snapped up by them at his base price of ₹50 lakhs.
In this article, we recap how things went down when the franchises engaged in bidding wars for the five players who ended up being the costliest purchases of the auction, and how these stars can potentially help their respective sides in the upcoming edition of the IPL.
#1 Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins was probably the most sought-after bowler coming into the auction, and it was expected that the Australian would pique the interest of a number of franchises and go for a handsome amount.
What ensued once Cummins’ name went under the hammer encapsulated all the thrill associated with the auctions and proved why this is such a watchable and enjoyable event.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore went straight in with an opening bid and were immediately joined by the Delhi Capitals. The two teams then engaged in a fierce bidding war and with either team refusing to back down, his price skyrocketed to ₹5.75 crores in no time whatsoever.
A lot of deliberation and debate within the camps followed and the bid for the Australian reached ₹10 crores. Soon enough, Kolkata Knight Riders, who were nowhere in the picture so far, popped and entered the battle to secure the signature of Cummins with a ₹15 crore bid.
RCB were finally prized out and KKR managed to snap the 26-year-old up for ₹15.5 crores in breath-taking fashion. In the process, Cummins became the most expensive overseas player to be sold at the auction and the second most expensive player ever to be sold, after Yuvraj Singh.
Cummins’ addition makes a whole lot of sense for KKR as he can spearhead their rather inexperienced and often expensive pace bowling lineup alongside Lockie Ferguson. Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi missed last season through injury, while Prasidh Krishna didn’t enjoy the best of times last term too, as he managed to only pick up four wickets at an economy of 9.34 runs per over.
The Australian’s arrival provides KKR with a pillar around which they can mould the rest of their youthful pace attack.