Boult blown away by Kolkata’s $1m spend

With one sentence, Trent Boult summed up what happens at the Indian Premier League auction.

He was reflecting on being snapped up for $1.04 million by the Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday night, after having two seasons with the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“It’s bizarre how that much money can be put on the head of a player to play for six or seven weeks,” Boult said yesterday ahead of today’s second ODI against South Africa at Hagley Oval.

Amen to that. Try to figure out the logic behind many of the moves pulled by the eight franchises and you won’t get far.

Boult had a couple of points in his favour: he’s been there, therefore knows the environment in an IPL competition; and he’s in top form, sitting at No 2 in the ODI bowling rankings behind South African legspinner Imran Tahir.

The exotic leggie wasn’t picked up in the auction. Try to work that out.

“It is pretty surreal,” Boult said. “We were in a car with a couple of the lads following on the twitter feed. To see the name come through with a figure like that next to it was pretty unbelievable.”

Boult felt no nerves around the auction. Filling in the application form was more stressful, he said. After that, as he put it, “once it’s in their hands it’s totally out of mine”.

He had no idea what he might be worth to a franchise. Some years batsmen are the priority; this time faster bowlers seem to be in vogue.

Late in the night, Auckland’s young quick Lockie Ferguson was snapped up by Rising Pune Supergiants, coached by former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming.

Ferguson, who played his first game for New Zealand only in December at the Sydney Cricket Ground, said he was in bed trying to get an early night’s sleep.

“I got a text from my mate [saying] you beauty,” he said. “I’m pretty stoked. Exciting times.”

Ferguson is looking to play down his rapid rise in the New Zealand game. He has a good head on his shoulders and isn’t thinking too far ahead.

“I’m pretty lucky to be playing and staying on the park, and hopefully I can keep going forward.”

Back to Boult. He will be coached by former South African great Jacques Kallis, against whom he played, while former Indian seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji is replacing Boult’s early hero Wasim Akram as bowling coach.

Given his fee you would expect Kolkata to want their money’s worth, so Boult shouldn’t have the issue he did at Hyderabad last season, when he only played once. Just four overseas players can be picked for each IPL game.

Martin Guptill and Matt Henry will have someone to talk to in the Kings XI Punjab dressing room; and can get together with their captain, South African David Miller during the current tour.

Corey Anderson will face an allrounders battle at Delhi Daredevils for his place with the likes of West Indian Carlos Brathwaite and Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews.

Ferguson will be captained by Australian skipper Steve Smith and will rub shoulders with the IPL’s most expensive overseas player ever, England’s Christchurch-born Ben Stokes.