Friday's IPL mini-auction in Kochi was anything but 'mini'. The 10 franchises got their cheque books out and splashed the cash as around 80 players were sold, 29 of whom were foreigners, and an eye watering Rs. 167 Crore was spent on that blockbuster of a day.
While Sam Curran got all the headlines for being the most expensive purchase in the history of IPL auctions, some of the uncapped players also bagged big contracts with the franchises.
Here is a look at the top 5 expensive uncapped players who were sold at the IPL mini-auction.
Shivam Mavi, Gujarat Titans - Rs. 6 Crore
Defending champion Gujarat Titans secured the services of allrounder Shivam Mavi for Rs. 6 Crore, which was the highest bid for an uncapped player during Friday's auction. Mavi was released by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the auction after spending four seasons with the side and the Titans obliged by picking up the 24-year-old. However, the defending champion had to fend off the likes of Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and former team KKR to get its player.
Predominantly used as a bowler, Mavi's IPL record is as follows:
Bowling:
Matches: 32, Wickets: 30, Best Figures: 4/21, Average: 31.40, Economy Rate: 8.71, Strike Rate: 21.63
Batting
Runs: 51, Highest Score: 20, Average: 5.67, Strike Rate: 91.07
Mukesh Kumar, Delhi Capitals - Rs. 5.5 Crore
Bengal’s Mukesh Kumar will make his IPL debut after Delhi Capitals got him for Rs. 5.5 Crore. A right-arm seam bowler, Kumar had earned a national call-up for team India for the home ODI series against South Africa, before the T20 World Cup, but didn't get a chance to feature in any of the matches.
His base price was Rs. 20 Lakh and CSK and Punjab Kings were interested in Kumar. However, DC eventually put in the winning bid to allow Kumar to potentially make his debut in the upcoming season.
Vivrant Sharma, Sunrisers Hyderabad - Rs. 2.6 Crore
SRH pipped KKR to the post as it roped in young J&K allrounder Vivrant Sharma for RS. 2.6 crore. His brilliant performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament, which included two 50s and a brilliant unbeaten 154 against Uttarakhand at the Wankhede, did not go unnoticed as he became the third-highest uncapped pick in the auction.
While he will be making his debut in the 2023 season, this is not his first tryst with IPL, particularly SRH. He was a net bowler for the side in the previous IPL, when he bowled leg spin, and he also had the chance to showcase his striking prowess during the batting sessions.
He will be keen to showcase those big hits in the upcoming IPL as SRH has got a gem in its ranks.
Mayank Dagar, Sunrisers Hyderabad - Rs. 1.8 Crore
26-year-old left-arm spinner Dagar from Delhi is famous for two reasons, apart from his cricketing abilities. He made the news after it was revealed his yo-yo test results were better than team India's fitness icon Virat Kohli. He is also the nephew of one of the most famous cricketers to have come from Delhi; Virender Sehwag. Although SRH picked him up keeping in mind his spinning ability, Dagar is also quite handy with the bat.
He will also make his debut in the IPL.
KS Bharat, Gujarat Titans - Rs. 1.2 Crore
Andhra Pradesh’s wicket keeping-batsman KS Bharat bagged Rs. 1.2 Crore in the auction after the defending champion added him to its squad. Bharat became the first wicketkeeper to score a triple century in Ranji Trophy after he reached the milestone in 2015 against Goa.
Bharat has been part of the Indian test team, on and off, since 2019, but never made it to the starting XI. He has also been part of the ODI squad, for the series against Australia in January 2020, after Rishabh Pant suffered a concussion. However, he did not feature for team India in that format either.
He has been part of Delhi Daredevils (2015), RCB (2021), and Delhi Capitals (2022).
His IPL record is as follows:
Matches: 10, Runs: 199, Highest Score: 78*, Average: 28.43, Strike Rate: 122.09
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