Kiwi XI snubbed at IPL auction
Former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum was among 11 New Zealand cricketers to go unsold at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for 2019.
Lockie Ferguson and Martin Guptill were picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad for about NZ$330,000 and NZ$200,000 respectively in the auction yesterday.
Guptill was snapped up late in the second round of bidding and he joins Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and Australian opener David Warner at Hyderabad, who lost the 2018 final to the Chennai Super Kings.
Ferguson, whose reserve price was set at the equivalent of $200,000, was subject to several bids before Kolkata signed him up and the Black Caps paceman has been rewarded after a successful stint of bowling (11 wickets at an average of 12.81) in three one-day internationals (ODIs) against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last month.
As well as McCullum, the other New Zealanders to miss out on pay days were Corey Anderson, Matt Henry, Jimmy Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Doug Bracewell, Anton Devcich, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Neil Wagner and Blair Tickner.
Retained by their franchises were Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee (both Bangalore), Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne (both Mumbai Indians), Trent Boult, Colin Munro (both Delhi Capitals), Williamson (Hyderabad), Mitchell Santner (Chennai) and Ish Sodhi (Rajasthan Royals).
Australian T20 stars Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch opted out of the auction as Cricket Australia requires its ODI players back in the country on May
2. England’s cup squad is required even earlier on April 25.
Former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson takes charge of the Kings XI Punjab. His side was the highest successful bidders for an Indian and overseas player respectively.
Kings XI acquired 20-year-old English all-rounder Sam Curran for 7.2 crore (NZ$1.5million), as well as the joint most expensive buy of 8.4 crore
(NZ$1.7m) for unknown Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who has played only one first-class match, while Indian seamer Jaydev Unadkat was sold for the same amount to Rajasthan.
Hesson’s side also sprung the auction’s biggest surprise by signing
17-year-old Prabhsimran Singh for 4.8 crore (NZ$963,000) after the talented teenager impressed for India’s under19s, while 16-year-old Prayas Ray Barman was taken on by Bangalore for 1.5 crore (NZ$304,000).
The 2019 IPL runs from March
29-May 19.