‘I was shaking’ – Chris Lynn recalls fetching INR 9.6 crore from KKR in 2018 IPL auctions

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is arguably the most celebrated T20 competition worldwide and many players dream of plying their trade in the tournament. In fact, lives of several cricketers have changed in the auction pool as the bidding war of the franchises results in players bagging big bucks. Australian dasher Chris Lynn is also one of those players who have set the bidding event on fire.

During the 2018 IPL auction in Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bagged his services for a staggering INR 9.6 crore. Lynn’s bidding began at INR 2 crore, and the likes of Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore showed interest in him, but the Shah Rukh Khan-owned side eventually bagged his services. Recalling his first reaction after fetching such a massive amount in the auction, Lynn revealed he was under tremendous pressure.

Notably, the day of the 2018 IPL auction coincided with the Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat clash in Big Bash League (BBL) 2017-18. Lynn was determined to take Heat over the line. However, the auction news impacted his concentration. “We were playing (Melbourne) Renegades at the Gabba (on that day). I walked into the change room, and you got to hand your phones, but the (Brisbane Heat) manager had his. So, he’s watching it (the auction),” Lynn said while featuring in Guy Walker’s YouTube channel.

It was literally so hard to get it out of my mind: Chris Lynn

“As I am padding up to go out and warm-up, and then it’s like bang, bang (talking about teams bidding for him).  I was like what’s going on. I remember that day clearly, I was warming up in the nets and am shaking. I was like what the hell has just happened. It was literally so hard to get it out of my mind because the press is talking about it when you are warming up,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lynn enjoyed a terrific outing in IPL 2018 as he scored 491 runs in 16 games which included three half-centuries. Riding on his prowess, KKR reached the playoffs but fell short of the title. As of now, the Australian swashbuckler is a part of five-time champions Mumbai Indians in IPL.