IPL Auction 2020: 3 youngest players to bag a contract
On Thursday, the IPL 2020 Auctions concluded with a total amount of INR 140.3 Cr. getting divided amongst 62 players, who will take the field next season along with the players who had earlier been retained by the franchises before the auctions.
Pat Cummins was the highest earner of the day, as he took home a handsome contract worth INR 15.5 Cr. from Kolkata Knight Riders. The Aussie pacer was not the only overseas star to make headlines, as fellow countryman Glenn Maxwell (INR 10.75 Cr.) and South African all-rounder Chris Morris (INR 10 Cr.) also had a good time under the hammer.
Apart from the overseas biggies, a few domestic talents also did well at the auctions. Barring Piyush Chawla, who was witness to a surprising INR 6.75 Cr. bid from CSK, it was the young uncapped stars who interested most franchises.
Amongst these domestic players, the U19 cricketers dominated the proceedings, as teams invested heavily to hire a couple of teenagers to their respective squads. With the mega-auctions set to happen before IPL 2021, getting hold of these future superstars now could offer teams the opportunity to buy them back using RTM or even retaining them for their revamped teams in 2021.
On that note, in this article, we list down the Top 3 youngest buys at the recently concluded auctions.
#3 Abdul Samad (18 years 53 days) - Sunrisers Hyderabad
For a significant part of the event, Sunrisers Hyderabad remained distant from the happenings in the auction room. However, as the names of the uncapped cricketers cropped up, SRH woke up to make a few quality signings to beef up their middle-order. Among the 7 players they purchased, Jammu & Kashmir's Abdul Samad evoked interest from many.
A talented middle-order batsman from J&K, at 18, Abdul could be a part of SRH's core in the future. Having made loads of runs in the junior levels of J&K cricket, Abdul's popularity rose after decent performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
In one of the games, he took experienced bowlers like Piyush Chawla and Axar Patel to the cleaners with his big-hitting skills. Also, the player can contribute a few overs with his wily leg-breaks, all of which make him an exciting prospect.
In a middle-order that has often struggled, Abdul has good chances of getting picked in the playing XI and making an impact next season.