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England’s white-ball supremacy was a theme at the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction on Friday. Fifteen England players made the squads for IPL 2023, making it their biggest ever squad. England and South Africa will also have the second largest representation in the IPL after India. Eight English players, including Test captain Ben Stokes, got teams in Kochi.
The biggest story of the day was Sam Curran, 24, with 18.5 crores became the costliest player in IPL history. Seven franchises made a push for the all-rounder. Some like Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have enough money but still tried. Others like Sunrisers Hyderabad knew deep down in the bid that they would lose but remained in the mix. The contest pushed Curran’s bid past the $2 million mark. This is the salary purse of the team in some T20 leagues.
Chennai Super Kings won an equally wild bidding war for Stokes to buy them 16.25 cr.
It was Harry Brook who got the ball rolling; 23-year-old coming into first set and getting bought 13.25 crores by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
total of 48 crores went on three English players and 58.1 crore out of 206 crores were spent on eight England players on offer.
Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra said, “How a team is playing in international cricket makes a difference.”
“England has won the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup. The franchise does not care whether the player is from England, Australia or South Africa. They want to pick the best players. With the quality of performances from the England players, I am not at all surprised that teams have gone for them.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid was picked up by Sunrisers and stroke-maker Phil Salt was picked up by Delhi Capitals for his 100 runs in other England players. 2 crore each; Big-hitting all-rounder Will Jacks and left-arm seamer Reece Topley left for Royal Challengers Bangalore 1.5 crore more 1.9 crores. Joe Root also found a taker in Rajasthan Royals.
This is a big change from when the England Cricket Board used to reprimand players like Kevin Pietersen for preferring IPL over international cricket. 2019 ODI World Cup mastermind Eoin Morgan has said that the IPL experience has helped improve England’s white-ball game.
only a dozen from WI
South Africa did not dominate the auction but 11 players were retained. Some of them own teams of six IPL franchises in the upcoming South African league SA20 and are looking for continuity.
Like England, Australia will be well represented in the IPL with 13 players across 10 teams. Despite their proximity to the Ashes, the deciding factor for England and Australia has been their cricket boards, which provide players for the entire league.
West Indies’ relegation will see their presence drop from 17 to 12 this year. From millionaires to sportspersons, many became bargain hunters at the auction. Nicholas Pooran 16 crore was a different story as his wicket-keeping skills were complemented by hard hitting ability.
Like every year, nine New Zealand players will again make the league available for the entire league thanks to their boards.
Among the new nations, experienced David Wiese of Namibia and Joshua Little of Ireland received teams. Gujarat Titans won him over before bidding for Little 4.4 crores as he offered a left-arm seam variety to the mix.
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