Spinner’s top buy bewilders

Little-known Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy hit the jackpot at the Indian Premier League auction Tuesday after he was snapped up for $1.2-million (about R17.1m) by Kings XI Punjab.

The price tag surprised pundits gathered at Jaipur for the 2019 Twenty20 tournament auction. After a fierce bidding war, the bowler emerged as the most expensive player in this year’s sell-off along with Indian left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat, bagged by Rajasthan Royals for the same price.

Chakravarthy began playing cricket when he was 13 but took up architecture after several rejections in age-group cricket. He later returned to the game, honing his skills as a spinner able to bowl both offand leg-breaks, with quite a few tricks up his sleeve.

More than 350 players went under the hammer Tuesday, including 120 international cricketers, in what is the world’s wealthiest cricket league.

West Indies players proved to be the top draw among the foreigners, with big-hitter Carlos Brathwaite going for $707,150 (R1.01m) to the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise.

“What a fantastic buy. We all know what Carlos did at Eden back in 2016! Everyone remembers the name!” KKR said on Twitter.

That year, Brathwaite slammed four consecutive sixes to help West Indies win the World T20 final against England.

KKR, led by India’s Dinesh Karthik, finished third in the IPL 2018. They won the championship in 2012 and 2014.

Another West Indies heavy hitter Shimron Hetmyer was sold for $594,195 (R8.5m) by Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 21-year-old, who impressed during the recent West Indies tour of India, will make his IPL debut.

England’s rising star Sam Curran was sold for $1m (about R14.3m) to Kings XI Punjab.

Brit Jonny Bairstow won his first IPL contract, picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for $311,982 (R4.4m). The wicketkeeperbatsman had gone unsold in last year’s auction.