IPL 2024 Auction: Indian uncapped players who earned big payday

Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins grabbed the headlines at the IPL 2024 Auctions by entering the Rs 20 crore club for the first time in the league’s history. The Aussie seam bowling duo earned applause from those inside the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai as Kolkata Knight Riders spent Rs 24.75 crore on Starc and Sunrisers Hyderabad shelled out Rs 20.50 crore for the Australian captain Cummins. It wasn’t just a big payday for the Aussie duo and host of ODI World Cup stars such as Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Travis Head, Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka. The day proved massive for uncapped India players as well. With cash to spare and purse loosened for this auction, teams didn’t shy away from splurging on as yet unproven talents on the largest stage. Sameer Rizvi (CSK for Rs 8.4 crore) Chennai Super Kings secured the services of Uttar Pradesh batter Sameer Rizvi for Rs 8.4 crore after a bidding war with Gujarat Titans. From a base price of Rs 20 lakh, Rizvi went 42-times his base price. “I was hoping that I would be selected, but I didn’t expect such a huge bid,” he told JioCinema after the auction. Backed by his superlative performance in the UPT20 league where he scored 455 runs in 10 matches at an average of 50-plus with two centuries and a fifty. In 11 matches for his state side, he has accumulated 295 runs at an average of nearly 50. Rizvi, called up by the U-23 team, could only attend trials for Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He had earlier been part of trials at Mumbai Indians as well. Shahrukh Khan (GT for Rs 7.40 crore) Having entered the auction at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, Shahrukh Khan went to Gujarat Titans for Rs 7.40 crore. After surprisingly being released by Punjab Kings, he must have been on plenty of teams’ radar. Come auction day, it was GT who outbid Punjab Kings in getting his services. The hard-hitting Tamil Nadu batter is known for his aggressive style of play. He would be handy for GT as a later finisher given his ability to produce fireworks late on. Shahrukh played 33 matches in the IPL for PBKS before being released prior to the auction. He had a strike rate of 160+ last season but struggled for consistency. He is also useful with the ball as visible in the Tamil Nadu Premier League where he took 17 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 6.66. “100% can bowl. Got my bowling going in the TNPL and that helps here to. Definitely want to chip in with the ball if given the opportunity,” Shahrukh said after joining GT. Shubham Dubey (RR for Rs 5.80 crore) Uncapped batter Shubham Dubey will be part of the Rajasthan Royals setup next season after they spent Rs 5.8 crore on him - thereby outbidding the Delhi Capitals. The opener had come into the auction at a base price of Rs 50 lakh. Dubey scored 221 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year while representing Vidarbha. His runs came at a strike rate of 190 to highlight hefty IPL bid. His career-best in the Ranji Trophy is an unbeaten 249 runs. Kumar Kushagra (DC for Rs 7.20 crore) Delhi Capitals missed out on Shubham Dubey in the uncapped Indians set during the auction but didn’t allow that to happen with Kumar Kushagra. DC spent Rs 7.20 crore and fended off competition from Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. The youngster from Jharkhand had impressed none other than Sourav Ganguly before the auction. Enough for Ganguly, the Director of Cricket at DC, to promise his father that the franchise will bid big for him if needed. Ganguly likened Kushagra to MS Dhoni in some shot-making. “At the trials, Ganguly was impressed with his six-hitting ability and ability to play the field. His keeping skills also impressed Ganguly and even told him that there is a bit of MS Dhoni in him when he whips the bails,” his father told Indian Express. Kushagra played one match for the India U-19 team at the 2020 World Cup in South Africa. In 2021-22 Ranji Trophy, by scoring 266 against Nagaland, he broke Javed Miandad’s 46-year-old record to become the youngest batter to score a 250-plus score. Robin Minz (GT for Rs 3.60 crore) Robin Minz became the first tribal cricketer in IPL history when Gujarat Titans splashed Rs 3.6 crore on him. Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad also expressed interested in the wicketkeeper-batter but GT managed to get his signature. The 21-year-old is an aggressive batter from Gumla, Jharkhand, but has not played any domestic T20 cricket. However, one of his three coaches is Chanchal Bhattacharya, who also coached MS Dhoni. Not surprisingly, Minz idolises CSK skipper MS Dhoni and his previous IPL stint saw him trial for MI.