The IPL auction 2024 turned out to be a monumental moment in the history of the league as the franchises went all in to fill the holes in their squads. The auction took place in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19th.
The IPL auction 2024 have always been a massive platform for players to come into the limelight and earn millions overnight. The top superstars in the game usually witness the IPL teams going to a bidding war for them. But Indian youngsters have also benefited hugely from the IPL auctions over the years.
When it comes to the domestic circuit, the teams who have a great scouting system are generally ahead of the curve and sign these talents at cheap prices. But most of the IPL franchises have worked on their scouting programmes and that has resulted in several young guns going big in the auctions.
On a day where the record for the most expensive player in the IPL was broken twice, there were some great moments for India's young talents too. T
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Five Indians who struck gold at the IPL auction 2024
Harshal Patel (INR 11.75 crore)
The medium-paced bowler emerged as the highest-priced acquisition for Punjab Kings during the IPL 2024 auction, having been released by RCB before the upcoming season. Harshal Patel found himself amidst a competitive bidding battle involving Gujarat Titans but ultimately secured a place with Punjab, where he will team up with Arshdeep Singh. Despite claiming 209 wickets in 178 matches, Patel has shown vulnerability in conceding runs during the latter stages of matches. Nonetheless, the scarcity of seasoned Indian pacers and the heightened requirement for them significantly elevated his valuation in the auction.
Sameer Rizvi (INR 8.4 cr)
The Uttar Pradesh batter Sameer Rizvi hit the jackpot in the IPL 2024 auction as Chennai Super Kings acquired his services for INR 8.4 crore. Rizvi has been one of the most highly-rated cricketers in India's domestic circuit in the last four years.
Just 20 years of age, Rizvi caught the attention of the cricket world with a stunning season in the UP T20 league this year. He smashed 455 Runs in the tournament at an incredible strike rate of 189 while averaging 50, including two centuries. Rizvi then lit up the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) for Uttar Pradesh. He was their top run-scorer with 277 runs at an average of 69 and a strike rate of 140.
Chennai Super Kings, who were lacking in Indian middle-order batting options, opened the bidding for Rizvi at the base price of INR 20 lakh. Gujarat Titans joined in and the two teams went back and forth until 7.60 crore, when Titans gave up. Delhi Capitals tried to sneak in but only made a few bids before opting out.
Shahrukh Khan (INR 7.4 cr)
The 28-year-old batter from Chennai first came into the limelight when he lit up the domestic T20 scene back in 2020-21. He attracted interest from a few IPL franchises and was bought by Punjab Kings for INR 5.25 crore. He had a decent season and the franchise repurchased him in the mega auction for INR 9 crore.
Punjab released him ahead of this auction, to get him back at a cheaper price. They opened the bidding at a base price of INR 40 lakh, with Gujarat Titans joining. The two teams engaged in a bidding war till 7.4 crore when Punjab Kings decided to back out.
Shahrukh Khan has played 33 matches in the IPL but hasn't been able to make much of an impact. He has scored 426 runs at an average of just 20 and a strike rate of 135, with a highest score of 47. Gujarat Titans will be hoping to extract more out of the hard-hitting batter.
Kumar Kushagra (INR 7.2 cr)
Another Indian youngster who struck gold at the IPL auction 2024 was Kumar Kushagra. The 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand was bought by Delhi Capitals for INR 7.2 crore. As his father revealed, Sourav Ganguly had promised that Delhi would spend 10 crore to get Kumar.
Kushagra doesn't have a great record in T20 cricket with a strike rate of only 117 but has shown good potential in FC and List A cricket. At 17 years old, he broke the record set by Javed Miandad to become the youngest player to score 250 in an FC Innings.
With Rishabh Pant likely to play only as an impact sub, Delhi needed a quality keeper and Kushagra fit the bill. Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans engaged in an early tussle before Delhi fought off Gujarat, taking the price from INR 20 lakh to 7.20 crore.
Shivam Mavi (INR 6.4 crore)
The fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh, part of the victorious 2018 under-19 World Cup squad, has commanded a value exceeding INR 6 crore over the past three seasons. Having transitioned from KKR to Gujarat in a trade last year, he participated in merely six matches, securing five wickets. Subsequently released by his former team, he has now been selected by Luckow Super Giants in IPL auction 2024 as a replacement for Avesh Khan, who was traded to Rajasthan earlier.
