The IPL 2021 mini-auction took place in full swing at Chennai and we got to witness some interesting buys and smart steals by the franchises. Let us have a look at the top 5 buys at the auction.
1) Chris Morris (16.25 crores)
The South-African all-rounder Chris Morris set the auction ablaze as the teams went lunatic over the 33-year old. The three franchises- Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the Rajasthan Royals were involved in a fierce battle for the South African. But it was the Royals who prevailed and bagged him for a whopping price of 16.25 crores.
Chris Morris has played 218 T20s and scored 1764 runs at a modest average of 21. The proteas star has also picked a staggering 270 wickets in the shortest format.
2) Kyle Jamieson (15 crores)
The kiwi's all-rounder was always on the radar of all the teams but one would have expected the kiwi to go for such a huge price. He caused chaos at the auctions as teams could not stop raising their hand. En route the 26-year old also became the most expensive New Zealand in the history of the Indian Premier League after being bought for 15 crores by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The Right-hander has played 38 T20s and maintains an average and strike-rate of 27.14 and 138.68. Also has 54 wickets under his belt at the decent economy of 7.98.
3) Glenn Maxwell (14.25 crores)
We all would have guessed this one coming. Yes, the Australian hard-hitter has always been a highlight in the Indian Premier League and once again he justifies it by going for a massive price of 14.25 crores to the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Yes, RCB does look like a force that can not be beaten now. Once again the ‘Big show’ showed us it's not just the match that he performs big but also the auction. But can he do justice to his price tag?
The 32-year old has played a colossal 301 matches in the shortest format and has scored 6581 runs at an astonishing strike-rate of 152. He also someone who does not shy away with the ball, with more than 100 wickets and a modest economy of 7.70, he is indeed a huge asset to any team.
4) Jhye Richardson (14 crores)
After an exciting show in the recently concluded Big Bash League, where the 24-year old picked up 29 wickets in the 17 matches. He was always going to go big at this auction. The spearhead was involved in an exciting battle of bids but ended up being sold to Punjab Kings at a staggering price of 14 crores.
Richardson has played 62 T20 matches so far in his career and picked up 78 wickets at an economy of 7.87. He also holds a reputation for his ability to hit the ball a long way, which he did demonstrate in the BBL. His International success though was halted with frequent injuries but he did prove he at his best by playing all the matches at the BBL.
5) Krishnappa Gowtham (9.25 crores)
The most expensive Indian in the year of the auction and who would have thought it would be the uncapped Indian all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham. The 32-year old, who has previously played for three franchises were bought by the Chennai Super Kings for an enormous price tag of 9.25 crores. But his experience at the domestic level and ability to be handy at both the divisions does make him a valuable buy.
Gowtham has played 62 matches in the shortest format and picked up 41 wickets at an economy of 7.60 with his Right-arm off-break. The Karnataka star has also scored close to 600 runs at an impressive strike- rate of 159.24.
This concludes our list of the top 5 buys at the IPL auction 2021. Do you the buys were worth it? Do you think any of them overpaid? Stay tuned with Cricwizz as we promise to bring you more intriguing articles on the auction analysis and more.
Cover Credits: CricShots
