Aussie players made merry, raking in the big bucks at the IPL 2020 players’ auction in Kolkata on Thursday. In a fierce competition between eight franchises, struggling to collect the best possible teams, Australians emerged as the most dominant number.
Of the 338 players who fell under the hammer, 62 were sold at the auction table in Kolkata. The Eight franchises combined spent Rs 140.3 crore with Australian cricketers such as Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell attracting big deals.
In the list of the most expensive five players at the auction, three were Australians.
Below is a list of the five major purchases at the IPL 2020 Auction.
Pat Cummins (Bought by KKR for Rs 15.50 Crore)
Pacer Pat Cummins was the subject of the conversation in the city, as he became the most expensive foreign purchase in the history of IPL. Cummins got a massive offer of Rs. 15.50 crore from twice-winner Kolkata Knight Riders when they broke the previous record for Ben Stokes, which Rising Pune Supergiant bought for Rs. 14.5 crore at the 2017 auction. After a fierce three-way war of rivalries, KKR surpassed Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore to buy the number one test bowler in the world.
Cummins was part of the Kolkata team in 2014 and 2015 and played for the last time in the Delhi Capital in 2017. The Mumbai Indians picked him up in the following season, but was excluded with a back injury.
"I thought he was the best player of the auction as a cricketer, he's grown, his body has become robust. He is now the vice-captain of the Australia cricket team, which is a mark of his development. Wonderful to secure a world-class player," said Brendon McCallum, KKR coach after buying Cummins.
Glenn Maxwell (Bought by Kings XI Punjab for Rs 10.75 Crore)
Glenn Maxwell's international break didn't bother because of the mental health difficulties, as they struggled to buy expensive offroads. It ended up with Maxwell receiving Rs. 10.75 crore, becoming the second most expensive purchase at the auction and would represent KingsXI Punjab in the next 2020 IPL release. Maxwell recently returned from break and is currently playing with the stars of Melbourne in the Big Bash League.
Chris Morris (Bought by RCB for Rs 10 Crore)
In one of the great surprises of the auction, the South African realist Chris Morris was taken over by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a large sum of Rs 10 crore. With a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, Morris made big profits, as the franchises were looking for a powerful and impressive all-rounder. Rajasthan Royals showed initial interest in buying Morris, but then RCB and Kings XI Punjab got into a bidding war when RR remained behind. When the numbers suddenly increased, the Mumbai Indians also threw their hat into the ring, but the RCB finally packed Morris for a whopping sum of Rs 10 crore.
Sheldon Cottrell (Bought by Kings Xi Punjab for Rs 8.5 Crore)
The major cricket show "Cottrell Salute" will feature in the next release, as the left pacemaker attracted first-time buyers at IPL. Astonishing performance in the shortest format for Windies helped him catch the attention of the franchise when they went to the auction war. Finally, the Kings XI Punjab won a three-way battle that also included the Delhi Capitals and the Rajasthan Royals. The Punjab-based franchise had to spend Rs 8.5 crore to purchase the Cottrell, making him the fourth-highest auction purchase.
"Very happy to have Cottrell on board," said Ness Wadia, owner at KXIP.
Nathan Coulter-Nile (Bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 8 Crore)
Australian Nathan Coulter-Nile completed the list of the five main purchases at the IPL 2020 auction, after Indian defenders Mumbai Indians purchased him for Rs. 8 crores. In a fierce battle with runner-up Chennai Super Kings last year, MI had to pay a large sum to take over Western Australian. After a great international year followed by some good performances in the domestic circuit, Coulter-Nile caught the headlines at the auction.
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