IN THE MONEY
The former New Zealand captain will rejoin coach Daniel Vettori at Bangalore.
He is almost two years retired from the international game, but Brendon McCullum topped the bidding for New Zealand players at the Indian Premier League cricket auction last night in Bengaluru.
The former New Zealand captain was sold to the Royal Challengers Bangalore for $770,000.
The Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils pushed his bidding value up from a reserve of $428,000 before the hammer came down. Former team-mate Dan Vettori will be his coach, just as he is with the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and at Middlesex in England’s T20 Blast.
Overall it was a mixture of success and disappointment for the first eight New Zealanders involved.
McCullum, Kane Williamson, Colin de Grandhomme and Colin Munro were selected; Martin Guptill, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan and Ish Sodhi missed out.
Perhaps Sodhi, the world’s No 1 T20 international bowler, was the biggest surprise. He was joint top of the wicket-taking charts at the 2016 World T20 in India with 10, then took 6-11 for the Adelaide Strikers against the Sydney Thunder last January in the Big Bash League.
In eight T20Is on the Subcontinent, he has taken 15 wickets at an economy rate of 6.50 and strike rate of 12. He could still get snaffled at the back end of the auction.
Williamson returned to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, his original franchise, despite Vettori’s RCB showing interest.
His reserve was $321,000 but, as the bidding paddles duelled, that value doubled to $641,000.
When the franchise first picked him up, he was valued at $121,000, so his worth has increased more than five-fold in three years.
De Grandhomme went from a reserve of $160,000 to get selected by RCB for $470,000 after the Sunrisers showed an interest.
Munro’s night started with the Mumbai Indians seeking to pick him up at his $107,000 reserve, before Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals pushed his price to $406,000. Delhi got him in the end.
Each of the selected quartet was fortunate at least two franchises competed to boost their price.
Their results will also please New Zealand Cricket. The more players snapped up to play in the IPL window at the world’s most lucrative Twenty20 tournament, the less will want to partake in other leagues conflicting with New Zealand playing commitments. The benefits of the Super Smash being shown in India for the first time this season might have paid some dividends.
However, the players do not get the whole amount from their sale. Deductions include:
1. A pro-rata figure if players are available but not selected for each game.
2. If players are injured during the tournament, salaries can be reduced from the original figure.
3. Players must be available for promotional appearances. If they fail to appear, they are deducted a further percentage of their salary.
4. Tax.
Those who missed out will be left to dwell on the fickle nature of the process. Guptill had a relatively low reserve of $160,000 and previous stints with Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. The perception he struggles against spin in the Subcontinent continues to shadow him.
McClenaghan had a tough outing for the Thunder versus Renegades in the BBL, but was the fourth highest wicket-taker last IPL on $61,000 at Mumbai. That made him one of the best players for rupees spent.
Southee has been a regular on the IPL circuit for years, but it was to no avail.