IPL Auctions: 5 instances when uncapped players stole the show

Cricket enthusiasts are all set to witness the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on December 19, in Dubai. At the massive business extravaganza, 333 players will go under the hammer and a maximum of 77 slots will be available. 215 uncapped players have also enrolled their names to get buyers in the auction. In the history of IPL auctions, there have been some players who grabbed eyeballs for bagging massive prices before breaking into international cricket. Before the marquee event in Dubai, let’s look at those uncapped players who received big money. Here are five instances when uncapped players hit the headlines 5. Rashid Khan Rashid Khan (Photo Source: twitter) Afghanistan stalwart Rashid Khan is currently one of the best bowlers in IPL. In the 2017 auction, he registered his name in the auction for his base price of INR 50 lakh but Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) fought a fierce battle on the auction table and signed up the youngster for INR 4 crore. With this amount, he became the costliest uncapped player of the 2017 auction. Rashid justified his amount in the tournament, picking up 17 wickets in 14 matches at an impressive economy of 6.62. The right-arm wrist-spinner served the Orange Army until 2021 and during this period, he took 93 wickets for the side in 76 matches at a thrifty economy of 6.33. With these majestic bowling numbers, he is the second-highest wicket-taker for Sunrisers. His best performance for the franchise came in the 2018 edition when he scalped 21 wickets in 17 matches and ended up as the second-leading wicket-taker in the competition. Following the dismal 2021 season, SRH released him along with big names David Warner and Jonny Bairstow. Currently, he is a vital member of the Gujarat Titans’ (GT) squad since 2022. 4. Shahrukh Khan Shahrukh Khan (Photo Source: twitter) Tamil Nadu player Shahrukh Khan, who is known for hard-hitting batting abilities, is yet to make his international debut for India. In the cash-rich IPL, he made his debut in 2021 after getting his maiden IPL contract from Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a massive sum of INR 5.25 crore. In the auction, PBKS beat Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to acquire the all-rounder. Playing his debut season in PBKS colours, he hit 153 runs in ten matches at a strike rate of 134.21. Noting his ordinary performance, PBKS parted ways with him after the tournament but shocked cricket supporters by signing him up again in the 2022 auction for a hefty amount of 9 crore. The 28-year-old will go under the hammer again in the 2024 auction as PBKS released him in November 2023, after witnessing his performance in the last two seasons. Shahrukh’s ineffective batting display in 2023 proved the last straw for Punjab eventually. 3. Varun Chakravarthy Varun Chakravarthy (Photo Source: Twitter) Varun Chakravarthy is a crucial member of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) due to his excellent wrist spin. In his four-year league career, he has grabbed 62 wickets in 56 games at an economy of 7.45. Chakravarthy played his debut IPL season in 2018, after receiving a lucrative contract of INR 8.40 crore from Punjab Kings (PBKS). With this amount, he also emerged as the costliest player in the auction, along with Jaydev Unadkat, who went to Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the same amount. The spinner attracted the sensational bid from Punjab due to his scintillating bowling performance for Madurai Panthers in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) He got a chance to make his debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens but failed to play further games due to his performance and an injury. After 2019, the Punjab-based franchise released him and KKR snapped him up in the 2020 auction. Serving Kolkata since 2020, he has scalped 61 wickets in 55 matches at an economy of 7.39. In the 2021 and 2023 seasons, he ended up as the highest wicket-taker for KKR. 2. Krunal Pandya Krunal Pandya (Photo Source: Twitter) Krunal Pandya became the most expensive uncapped player in the 2018 IPL auction, after getting sold to Mumbai Indians (MI) for a whopping amount of INR 8.8 crore. The Baroda player looked decent as an all-rounder for MI in the season, racking up 228 runs and 12 wickets in 14 contests. In 2021, Krunal failed to be impactful with both bat and ball which led to his removal from the team. Currently, he plays for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the cash-rich tournament. The 32-year-old was also seen captaining LSG in 2023 after captain KL Rahul’s absence from the side due to a hamstring injury. 1. Krishnappa Gowtham Krishnappa Gowtham (Photo Source: twitter) Karnataka’s Krishnappa Gowtham was sold to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 9.25 in the 2021 auction and became the most expensive uncapped player in the history of the league. Chennai defeated KKR in the bidding battle to acquire the Karnataka all-rounder. However, despite investing a massive amount in him, the CSK team management didn’t give him a chance to play a single match throughout the 2021 season. Super Kings released him before the 2022 auction and the debutant LSG bought him for only INR 90 lakh. Serving Lucknow since 2022, he has taken eight wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 7.75. Talking about his overall IPL performance, the 35-year-old has got 21 wickets in 35 contests at an economy of 8.11.

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IPL Auctions: 5 instances when uncapped players stole the show

In the history of IPL auctions, there have been some players who grabbed eyeballs for bagging massive prices before breaking into international cricket.

1. Krishnappa Gowtham

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