Jhye Richardson
As Indian Premier League auction returned in its big-payday avatar once again, the huge splashing of money was expected by various franchises, who were looking to bolster their squad for the upcoming season. While a total of Rs 483.89 crores was extravagantly spent on some of the biggest names in modern-day cricket, it was the bowlers who hit pay dirt on the day.
With the IPL returning to India once again after a hiatus in the UAE, it seems franchises were looking to reinforce their fast bowling options with the three of the top four signings turned out to be pacers.
Here we take a look at top five picks at the auction and what their inclusion means for the franchise they have been acquired with.
1. Jhye Richardson (Rs 14 crore - Punjab Kings)
Jhye Richardson was the most sought after name at the auction as grapevine suggested that multiple franchises will be gunning for him after his golden arm winner at the Big Bash League.
The Australian pacer, who represented the national team in 24 international games so far, was roped in by the newly-renamed Punjab Kings after a see-saw battle with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The golden arm winner of the Big Bash League (BBL) was touted to be one of the possible biggest buys of the auction and it proved to be one. The 24-year old West Australian was picked by the Punjab Kings, who had the biggest purse before the auction as they splurged 14 crores for the pacer. Richardson, who has played 24 games for Australia across formats, will be playing his first IPL.
2. Kyle Jamieson (Rs 15 crore - Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Kylie Jamieson's foray into the international cricket created a lot of hullaballoo in his native nation as the 6 foot, 6 inches tall New Zealand pacer shone in his debut series that too against the mighty Indian team.
Given the natural advantage, the 26-year-old fast bowler has, RCB team management must be rubbing their palms at the exciting possibilities that Kyle brings in. And last but not the least, one must not forget that the lanky Kiwi is also capable of doing fireworks with the bat down the order; in short a perfect fit for the shortest format of the game.
3. Riley Meredith (Rs 8 crore - Punjab Kings)
Riley Meredith was certainly among the top surprise picks at the auction. The 24-year-old uncapped Australian pacer caught everyone's attention at the Big Bash League when he crossed the 150kmph barrier, putting him in the company of genuine pacers.
And the Tasmanian cricketer is not just about pace as he scalped 16 wickets in 13 games at an economy of 7.82 at the Big Bash. Coupling that with being sold for a huge sum of Rs 8 crore meant we might see him sharing the new ball with Mohammed Shami, something the Indian pacer missed at the last IPL.
4. Adam Milne (Rs 3.2 crore - Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai Indians success over the years has revolved around their bowling unit. The franchise has always ensured that the team is rich in its bowling strength and that has included in beefing up its pace attack. Remaining true to that identity, the defending champions roped in Adam Milne while re-acquiring Nathan Coulter-Nile in order to fill the gap left by now-retired Lasith Malinga and released Mitchell McCleneghan.
Touted as the fastest New Zealand pacer after Shane Bond, Milne still has big shoes to fill if he wants a place in the playing XI regularly with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and compatriot Trent Boult. In fact, this would be his second outing with the franchise as his first sojourn with MI went unnoticed until he was released in 2019.
5. Dan Christian (Rs 2.4 crore - Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Australia's Dan Christian was roped in for INR 4.8 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2021 Auction on Thursday. Christian, a potent all-rounder, has plied his trade for many franchises across the globe.
Christian was a part of the Sydney Sixers who won their third BBL title earlier in the year. The 37-year-old will join forces with Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj to bolster the Bangalore outfit's pace unit. In the BBL 2020-21, Christian had a decent outing where he scored 272 runs along with getting 15 wickets.
