IPL Auction 2024: Top 3 players who went from rags to riches overnight

The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction ended with the ten franchises spending a massive amount of INR 230.40 crore to grab 72 players. Mitchell Starc was sold for a record price of INR 24.75 crore to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and became the costliest player in the history of the IPL auction.  

Along with Starc, Pat Cummins also got a lucrative contract at the auction. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) splurged INR 20.5 crore to reserve the services of the 30-year-old Aussie. The auction not only gave cheerful moments to renowned names but also to some lesser-known faces. At the enormous business event, some uncapped domestic players became the talk of the town for getting picked up at hefty prices. 

Here are three players who went from rags to riches overnight in the IPL 2024 auction:

3. Shubham Dubey

Shubham Dubey (Photo Source: Twitter)

Shubham Dubey might be handed his IPL debut by Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2024 IPL. Dubey looked stunning as a middle-order batter for Vidarbha, in the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He notched up 221 runs with a fifty in seven matches at an extraordinary strike rate of 187.28.

His excellent work caught the attention of RR and Delhi Capitals (DC) and they bid for him in the auction. The bidding contest between the two franchises helped Dubey bag a huge amount of INR 5.8 crore from Royals eventually. In the upcoming tournament, RR may give Dubey the responsibility to solidify the team while batting in the middle order.

The 29-year-old has more than two years of experience in domestic cricket. In his brief career, he has amassed 485 runs for Vidarbha in 19 innings of 20 games at a superb strike rate of 145.20. His domestic experience will give him the confidence to serve RR efficiently.

2. Kumar Kushagra

Kumar Kushagra (Photo Source: Twitter)

Jharkhand’s wicketkeeper-batter became a part of DC for a massive sum of INR 7.2 crore. His base price was only INR 20 lakh but Capitals engaged in a bidding battle with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) to get the 19-year-old at the humongous amount.

With wicketkeepers like Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, and Abhishek Porel in the team, Kumar Kushagra might not get a lot of matches in the competition. However, if he gets the opportunity from the team management, he will look to showcase his potential with the bat and gloves.

The youngster’s batting numbers for Jharkhand are superb in domestic cricket. In List A cricket, he has racked up 700 runs with seven half-centuries in 19 innings of 23 matches, at an average of 46.66.

1. Sameer Rizvi

Sameer Rizvi (Photo Source: Twitter)

Uttar Pradesh’s right-handed batter Sameer Rizvi bagged an eye-grabbing deal of INR 8.4 crore from Super Kings. Like Kushagra, his minimum reserved amount was also just INR 20 lakh but his exceptional batting prowess attracted Titans and Capitals, along with CSK. 

Before the auction, Rizvi put up a fine show with his bat in the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Showing up for Uttar Pradesh, he smashed 277 runs in seven innings, at a strike rate of 139.89 and a notable average of 69.25. The 20-year-old will look to do wonders with his bat in Chennai’s jersey.