IPL Auction 2021 happened on February 18 in Chennai. There were many surprises for the fans at the auction. Some reputed T20 players could not get a bid. On the other side, some players with a low base price earned millions. Many fans might have noticed that players with a high base price generally go unsold.
Over the years, many English and Aussie players have set their base price 2 crore. However, they did not get a contract at the auction. Recently, Colin Ingram set his base price 2 crore and did not even it make it to the final list. In this article, we will look at those five players who set their base price low and then earned a whopping amount.
5. Kyle Jamieson
The Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for the playoffs in IPL 2020. However, the Bangalore-based franchise did not retain their star all-rounders before the auction. Many fans were surprised to see the likes of Moeen Ali, Chris Morris, and Shivam Dube return to the auction pool.
But now it seems like RCB went in with a proper strategy. They broke the bank for the players they wanted in their squad. Kyle Jamieson was one of those players. The Kiwi all-rounder, who had a base price of 75 lakh, earned 15 crore at the mini auction this year.
4. Riley Meredith
Another overseas pacer to appear on this list is Australia’s Riley Meredith. Not many fans would know Meredith, but he has done well in the Australian domestic circuit. Due to that reason, the Punjab Kings went all out for him at the IPL Auction 2021.
The newly rebranded Punjab Kings needed a foreign fast bowler to support Mohammed Shami in the pace attack. Riley Meredith, who had a base price of 40 lakh, earned a contract worth 8 crore.
3. Krishnappa Gowtham
Krishnappa Gowtham has been a part of three IPL franchises before. He started his career with the Mumbai Indians before joining the Kings XI Punjab and the Rajasthan Royals. Gowtham played only two matches in IPL 2020.
Although Gowtham is a match-winner, he entered the auction at a base price of 20 lakh only. There was an intense bidding war for Krishnappa’s services at the IPL Auction 2021. He eventually ended up with a 9.25 crore from the Chennai Super Kings.
2. Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan had entered the IPL Auction in the previous years. However, the Tamil Nadu star could not earn a contract from any of the eight franchises.
Courtesy of his brilliant performances at the domestic level, Shahrukh Khan has now earned his maiden IPL contract from the Punjab Kings. Although Khan had a base price of 20 lakh, he received a massive deal worth 5.25 crore.
1. Chris Morris
Chris Morris’s IPL deal was the biggest surprise of the evening. The South African all-rounder registered himself at a base price of only 75 lakh for IPL Auction.
The Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore started a bidding war for him. However, the Rajasthan Royals joined in the middle and won the race by signing him for 16.25 crore. This signing made Chris Morris the most expensive overseas player in IPL Auction history.
