Cameron Green hits it out of the park but uncapped players steal the show

The Australian allrounder was bought by KKR for a record ₹25.2 crore even as Karthik Sharma and Prashant Veer scored big paydays

Mumbai: The IPL player auctions have changed the lives of many players by introducing meritocracy through free market economics. Add Karthik Sharma, the 19-year-old wicket-keeper batter from Rajasthan, and Prashant Veer, the 20-year-old left-arm spin all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, to that list. Their big pay day - ₹ 14.2 crore each - at the IPL mini auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday meant they will now be playing for the Chennai Super Kings with the legendary MS Dhoni still in the squad.

File image of Cameron Green who was snapped by KKR in IPL auction. (PTI)

It was another pulsating day of frenzied paddle wars, with Australian all-rounder Cameron Green ( ₹25.2 crore) becoming the most expensive overseas buy in an IPL auction. Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana ( ₹ 18 crore) was the next most expensive buys of the day, again picked up by KKR.

For CSK, once called the Dad’s Army, this marked a tectonic shift in strategy. They went chasing youth from domestic cricket, whom they had earmarked through scouting programs and trials. And it wasn’t just CSK that did that.

The top ten list of most expensive buys had three uncapped players. The third being J&K pacer Auqib Nabi, whose $ 8.4 crore IPL contract may spark further interest for the sport in the region after express pacer Umran Malik became a household name. Another uncapped bowler in the form of Madhya Pradesh’s left-armer Magesh Yadav was taken by RCB for ₹ 5.2 crore.

A lot of the foreign players were not Plan A for the teams and that showed their trust in local talent with the proliferation of state T20 leagues. The kids are training right and are ready to make an instant impact.

“They have no concern about the environment in which they need to express their skills. That’s something we have to acknowledge — the T20 babies are coming through. Sometimes, experienced players can get caught trying to read the game too much,” Stephen Fleming, CSK head coach said.

DC head coach Hemang Badani added: “The way the game’s gone by, with the younger kids, there’s no baggage... To see Prashant Veers and Karthik Sharmas become the most expensive uncapped Indian players, pretty much tells you what it is.”

Green wins the day

Four of the ten tables in the room bid for Green. But there were only two serious bidders - KKR and CSK. KKR came out eventual winners. It is how it was always going to be with no other team having sufficient spending power.

Green’s bidding resembled a scripted pro wrestling storyline wherein, one knew who was going to deliver the chokeslam at the count of three. Only this time the three counts came from auctioneer Mallika Sagar. As her gavel went down to end the bidding war, the Australian all-rounder found himself a new colour to wear - KKR’s purple.

Green, strategically placed in the first set of batters, was the fifth name out of the draw. Mumbai Indians opened the bidding for old times’ sake. He once played for the Mumbai franchise and owner Akash Ambani had called him a player who offered “lifetime value”. On this occasion, chained by the salary cap, Ambani could only offer a sheepish smile as he withdrew from bidding early.

RR were quick to join the race and they pushed KKR up to ₹ 13.4 crore before running out of gas. Enter CSK and this is where the bidding got serious. If CSK wanted, they could have stretched KKR further. They had other plans.

KKR, had released Andre Russell and Venkatesh Iyer to free up the purse just for this buy. “It’s tough to say. I think a lot of it would have depended on the rest of the plans,” Venky Mysore, KKR CEO told reporters when asked how far they planned to go with Green

Ultimately, the gesture suggesting they are done came from CSK at ₹ 25.20 crore. On expected lines, Green became a knight. In the process, he also went past Mitchel Starc’s ₹23.75 crore price tag, the previous record for an overseas player. Green’s effective gross salary would be ₹18 crore under the new “maximum fee” rule.

With a visible drop off in quality from Green to the next best player in the 369-strong auction field, KKR would feel their punt to re-strategize did not cost them dearly.

“I think he adds a lot to our team and especially with our new power coach (Russell) who is on board, I think it’s a very nice thing to have a young one on the field,” Mysore said. “We know what he does at the international stage with the bat, with the ball, the position in which he plays. So, we couldn’t be happier with the new acquisition.”

Venkatesh Iyer, KKR’s big money buy from the last auction was handed a big price correction, going to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru for ₹7 crore.

MI who came in with the smallest purse, went away with a steal of a buy in Quinton de Kock for ₹1 crore. The experienced South African is a like-for-like addition to fellow countryman Ryan Rickelton, also acting as a cover for Rohit Sharma, should he lose touch or fitness at the back end of his career.

For English power hitter Liam Livingstone, there was late cheer in the accelerated action, as he bagged ₹13 crore in a late bidding war won by Sunrisers Hyderabad against Lucknow Super Giants. Josh Inglis too got good money ( ₹8.6 crore to LSG) belatedly but the story of the day was teams choosing to trust their own scouting teams and uncapped players. To know whether the tactic pays off, we will have to wait until March 26 when the new season kicks off.