Home
A relatively unknown player Kumar Kushagra turned heads in the IPL 2024 auction after Delhi Capitals secured him for a massive sum of Rs. 7.20 crore, making him their most expensive pick.
The Jharkhand-based wicket-keeper batter also lured Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans but DC had the last laugh in the bidding war.
Follow the Sports Tak channel on WhatsApp
Meanwhile, Kushagra's father, Shrikant, revealed his conversation with Delhi Capitals Team Director Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly had earlier said that Kushagra has the qualities MS Dhoni, particularly in his wicketkeeping style. Shrikant then mentioned that Ganguly had assured him DC would be willing to bid as high as Rs. 10 crore for Kumar in the IPL 2024 auction.
Kushagra, a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, is an uncapped Indian player who competes in domestic cricket for Jharkhand. He has also been a part of the India Under-19 team previously.
Shrikant shared more about Ganguly's comparison of his son's skills to those of Dhoni, particularly focusing on his son's wicketkeeping techniques.
“At the trials, Ganguly was impressed with his six-hitting ability and ability to play the field. His keeping skills also impressed Ganguly and even told him that there is a bit of MS Dhoni in him when he whips the bails,” Kushagra's father told Indian Express.
Kushagra's father, while recalling a conversation with Ganguly, said,"After the trials at Eden (Gardens), Ganguly told Kushagra that he would play for the Delhi Capitals and the franchise would bid for him till Rs 10 crore.
Shrikant was taken aback after the windfall on his son in the glitzy IPL auction and admitted that he expected that his son would be signed for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
“I thought he will get picked by Capitals at base price. For a few minutes, I was so numb. One can only think about miracles, and today was that kind of day. He was confident because Ganguly had promised him, but I thought he must have said this to encourage him,” Shrikant concluded.
Kushagra brings a solid background of domestic cricket experience. The right-handed batter has participated in 13 First-Class matches, 23 List A games, and 11 T20s. He boasts an impressive average of over 39 in First-Class cricket and over 46 in List A games. In his 11 T20 appearances, he has scored 140 runs, maintaining a strike rate of over 117.
Besides Kushagra, DC also splurged money in other players during the IPL 2024 auction. They acquired Australian pacer Jhye Richardson for Rs. 5 crore and brought Harry Brook into the team for Rs. 4 crore. Sumit Kumar was another notable purchase for DC, fetching a price of Rs. 1 crore.
DC also added Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs to their squad for Rs. 75 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh respectively. The IPL 2020 finalists further strengthened their lineup with Ricky Bhui, Swastik Chhikara, and Rasikh Dar, each costing Rs. 20 lakh.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
