IPL auction: high bids on some, while upsetting for many

Indian Premier League’s (IPL) first champions Rajasthan Royals has splurged a whopping ₹8.40 crore to buy back India discard left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction here on Tuesday.

The Royals were locked in an intense battle with Delhi Capitals and later on with Chennai Super Kings before getting back the services of the paceman, whom they released for the auction.

Unadkat grabbed the eye-balls last season when he became the highest paid Indian after being bought by the same franchise for a whopping ₹11.5 crore.

The Royals also bought Varun Aaron for a sum of ₹ 2.40 crore.

Another discarded India pacer Mohit Sharma went for ₹ 5 crore to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) while current pace spearhead Mohammed Shami's services were purchased for ₹ 4.80 crore by Kings XI Punjab.

Mumbai Indians bought back Sri Lankan veteran Lasith Malinga for ₹2 crore while veteran Ishant Sharma was bought for ₹1.10 crore by Delhi Capitals.

Earlier, Axar Patel was bought for ₹ 5 crore by Delhi while veteran Yuvraj Singh remained unsold from among the first set of players who went under the hammer.

Delhi also bought all-rounder Hanuma Vihari for ₹ 2 crore while West Indians Shimron Hetmyer and Nicolas Pooran were bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, respectively for₹ 4.20 crore. Another Caribbean star Carlos Brathwaite went for ₹5 crore to the Kolkata Knight Riders.

KXIP also bagged the services of Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques for Rs 1 crore while the Sunrisers Hyderabad spent₹ 2.20 crore for English wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow and ₹1.20 crore for India's Test stumper Wriddhiman Saha.

Meanwhile, besides Yuvraj, the other stars who went unsold are Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, New Zealanders Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum, Englishmen Chris Woakes, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan.

Aussie stumper Ben McDermott and India's Naman Ojha also failed to find any buyers from among the eight IPL franchises.