Indian Premier League 2024 auction witnessed teams going all in for Australian players on Tuesday, December 19. Mitchell Starc (INR 24.75 crore to KKR) and Pat Cummins (INR 20.50 crore to SRH) emerged as record-breaking names at the IPL 2024 auction but the likes of Travis Head and Spencer Johnson also bagged big deals ahead of the next season.
Teams showed strong interest in Australian players which was no surprise having recently won the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. Many predicted a bidding war for Head, Cummins and Starc but very few would have imagined a mega bid for a rising Australian pacer Spencer Johnson.
Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals emerged in a bidding war for Spencer with the former winning the signature for a whooping INR 10 crore. Spencer has played only two T20Is for Australia but surprisingly bagged a massive amount to steal the show in Dubai.
Who is Spencer Johnson?
Spencer Johnson is a 28-year-old left-arm fast-medium bowler from Adelaide, Australia.
Johnson first stole the limelight for his record-breaking spell in The Hundred 2023 tournament. Spencer registered bowling figures of 20-19-1-3 while playing for Oval Invincibles in a game against Manchester United. He remains a consistent performer in the Big Bash League, Australia's premier T20 league, and represents Brisbane Heat.
In T20 cricket, Spencer Johnson has taken 17 wickets in 20 innings at an average of 30.23 and an economy rate of 7.84 so far. He also played for the Los Angeles Knight Riders in the recent inaugural edition of the Major Cricket League (MLC).
Johnson made his T20I debut during Australia's tour of South Africa in August-September this year and took two wickets in two games. He has also featured in one ODI game against India in September 2023 but failed to make an impact.
