IPL 2021 Auction: Uncapped Players Who Went For Big Money

Several uncapped players were in for pleasant surprises in Thursday's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 player auction in Chennai. Krishnappa Gowtham, the hard-hitting lower order batsman and off spinner form Karnataka, became the most expensive buy among uncapped Indian players in IPL history when he was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs. 9.25 crore. Shahrukh Khan, another uncapped player, was lapped up for Rs 5.25 crore by Punjab Kings. Other uncapped players to go for big amounts at the IPL auction are Chetan Sakariya at Rs. 1.2 crore (Rajasthan Royals) and Australian Riley Meredith at Rs. 8 crore (Punjab Kings). 

Here is a list of top uncapped buys: 

1. Krishnappa Gowtham - Chennai Super Kings (Rs. 9.25 crore) 

Gowtham shot to IPL fame in the 2018 season when his big-hitting prowess came for the fore for Rajasthan Royals. Of his 186 runs from 24 matches in the IPL, 126 came in 2018 season at a strike rate of 196.87. Overall, the 32-year-old cricketer has played 62 T20s and scored 594 runs along with picking up 41 wickets. His T20 strike rate of 159.24 holds him in good stead to be a designated hitter for CSK. His base price was Rs. 20 lakh. 

2. Shahrukh Khan - Punjab Kings (Rs. 5.25 crore) 

Shahrukh, a 25-year-old batsman from Tamil Nadu, had also made the news for his big-hitting. He was sold to Punjab Kings after they staved off competition from several other teams. Shahrukh, who came into the auction at a base price of Rs. 20 lakh, recently played a crucial role in Tamil Nadu's Syed Mushtaq Ali campaign, smashing 40 not out off 18 balls against Himachal Pradesh in a crucial win that helped the team make the semi-final. 

3. Riley Meredith - Punjab Kings (Rs. 8 crore) 

A good Big Bash League campaign for the uncapped Riley Meredith helped him bag an IPL contract. Meredith, an out-and-out fast bowler, has played 34 T20s so far and has picked up 43 wickets at 23.62 and an economy rate of 8.06. Meredith came into the auction at a base price of Rs. 40 lakh. 

4. Chetan Sakariya - Rajasthan Royals (Rs. 1.2 crore) 

The left-arm pacer form Saurashtra enjoyed a good run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, returning figures of 2/22, 2/31, 2/15, 5/11 and 1/19 in his last five outings. Overall, the 22-year-old has got 28 wickets from 16 matches at an average of 15.10 and an economy rate of 7.08 runs per over. His base price was Rs. 20 lakh. 

Topics mentioned in this article

Krishnappa Gowtham Riley Meredith Shahrukh Khan Chetan Sakariya IPL 2021 Chennai Super Kings Punjab Kings Rajasthan Royals IPL Auction 2021 Cricket