IPL Auction: Windfall for under-19, uncapped players

Shaw is widely regarded as one for the future. The Indian U-19 captain has already scored five first-class centuries for Mumbai. He scored 961 runs in his debut first-class season. At the ongoing World Cup, Shaw is India’s second highest scorer so far with 191 runs. Delhi Daredevils got him for Rs 1.2 crore.

Gill has scored three half-centuries – 63, 90 not out and 86 – in four matches that young India have played so far in the World Cup. He also tops the scoring charts for the team with 239 runs. The young Punjab batsman made his first-class debut this season and hit a hundred in his second Ranji Trophy game. Knight Riders picked him for Rs 1.8 crore, nine times his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

“This is one of the best batches of U-19s in Indian cricket and people want to be part of their success,” a top BCCI official observed.

Delhi Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua preferred to put things in perspective.

“Each generation has had its own mix. People are now just a little more aware because of a lot more media and a lot more cricket. It’s more under the lens. But every generation is good enough. Just that the earlier generations weren’t under so much media lens and they weren’t part of the auctions like what this generation is. Earlier generations threw up great players like Virat Kohli. Then, we had Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, who went for big price today. So it’s not fair to say that this generation is better than the other generations,” Dua told The Indian Express.

In fact, it wasn’t only about the colts getting big money in today’s auction. Rajasthan Royals bought Sanju Samson for Rs 8 crore. Ishan Kishan, the Jharkhand ‘keeper-batsman, who captained in the previous U-19 World Cup, went to Mumbai Indians for Rs 6.2 crore. White-ball cricket has redefined the ‘keeper’s job and an all-round package like MS Dhoni is at a premium in Indian cricket at the moment.

From that point of view, Samson’s price upsurge was understandable because of his IPL experience – 1,146 runs and 37 dismissals in 66 matches. But Kishan is yet to set the stands on fire. He played for Gujarat Lions last season, scoring 319 runs. But the 19-year-old is rated highly.

Fast bowlers Navdeep Saini and Khaleel Ahmed, too, bagged big money, going to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively for Rs 3 crore each. Saini is with the Indian team in South Africa as a net bowler.

Khaleel clocked 147kph during a Syed Mushtaq Ali fixture against Punjab at Eden Gardens three days ago. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians exercised their Right to Match card option to retain Krunal Pandya for Rs 8.8 crore making him the costliest uncapped Indian player. Delhi also invested heavily, Rs 3 crore, on the uncapped Haryana leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia, who impressed during the zonal league of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.