The IPL auction always has a few surprises in store and this year was no different.
Aside from the usual suspects, this year’s auction saw some competitive bidding for four relatively unknown players and all four of them were eventually bought for over Rs. 1 crore.
Here is a brief introduction to these four lesser-known players.
1. Shreyas Iyer (2.6 crore) to Delhi Daredevils
Image courtesy: cricketcountry.com
The 20-year-old’s strong show for Mumbai in the domestic season was rightly rewarded in the IPL auction. Iyer scored 649 runs in 13 innings in Ranji trophy, averaging over 54 and scoring 2 centuries along the way.
Very few outside Karnataka had even heard Cariappa’s name before the IPL auction. The 20-year-old leg-spinner hasn’t even played a single first-class game. His only known achievements have come in the Karnataka Premier League last season, in which he took 11 wickets for Bijapur Bulls and finished as the third highest wicket-taker. IPL-8 could see him rise to national fame.
The 21-year-old Australian pacer’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. After an impressive domestic season with New South Wales and some eye-catching performances with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash, he was picked in the national ODI squad and made his 50-over debut against England in January 2015. He will be rearing to impress in the most illustrious T20 league this time around.
He’s a known face in South Africa, with over 3000 first class runs and 185 wickets to his name already. He has also featured in 8 T20 Internationals for the Proteas and has already bagged 15 wickets. The 29-year-old could turn out to be a useful addition to the illustrious RCB squad.
