IPL 2019: Shane Warne reveals how Rajasthan Royals zeroed in on Ashton Turner

Australian batsman Ashton Turner was not a name many knew about in India even though he was picked by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) for Rs 50 lakh. It was only after he belted a 43-ball 84 not out against India in an ODI in Mohali recently that Turner became a star overnight. The cricketer, who himself said that he had no idea why the RR picked him in last year’s auction, helped Australia chase down a target of 359 in the game and eventually win the series 3-2 after trailing 0-2.

The 26-year-old Western Australia batsman scored 125 runs from three matches in the series – his debut one – at a strike rate of 145 above and the RR will be excited to have him in their team in the upcoming T20 carnival. The Rajasthan-based franchise’s mentor – Shane Warne – recently revealed how they zeroed in on Turner and picked him for this year’s tournament.

Warne, who led RR to win their only IPL title in 2008, even feels that Turner’s Mohali knock now makes his valuation of Rs 50 lakh look good. It was a suggestion from former England international Dimitri Mascarenhas about Turner’s exploits in the Big Bash League this year that made Warne and RR go for Ashton Turner.

“Just watching him play, a good friend of mine (Dmitri) Mascheranas and me were speaking about the Big Bash and he asked me to take a good look at Turner. So, I studied him a bit and then rang the Royals owners and said that they should get Turner as the kid was good. So they went ahead and bought him and now the 50 grands spent on him looks pretty good,” Timesnownews.com cited reports as quoting the Australian legend.

“Turner has a very level head on his shoulders for a young player. He is a future leader and has done a great job at Perth Scorchers. He plays spin just as good as he plays pace,” Warne said.

Turner to join RR after Pakistan ODIs

Turner though will not be available for the RR from Game 1. He is set to play for his national side in a five-match ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE starting March 22. The series will conclude on March 31 following which the Australian will join the RR camp. The Royals’ first game in IPL 2019 is against Kings XI Punjab in Jaipur on March 25.

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