The IPL 2023 auction amazed everyone, as most auctions have done in the past 15 years, as the record for the most expensive ever auction price broke – Sam Curran was bought by Punjab Kings for a whopping INR 18.5 crore!
Not only Sam Curran is the most expensive player ever to be sold in any IPL auction, but also he now has the biggest contract any player has ever gotten in the IPL, surpassing the INR 17 crore contracts that Virat Kohli previously had with RCB and KL Rahul currently has with Lucknow.
Cameron Green saw himself becoming a triple millionaire too, as Mumbai Indians spalshed 17.5 crore on Green after failing to get Sam Curran. CSK made their most-expensive IPL auction signing ever by roping in England Test captain Ben Stokes for 16.25 crore.
CSK, MI and PBKS didn’t have an ideal season last season, so it is understandable that they spend big amounts on these three all-rounders. But what about the team that had an ideal season – defending champions Gujarat Titans?
Eoin Morgan left astonished at Gujarat TItans’ purchases at low prices:
GT’s first two purchases were Kane Williamson (bought at base price of 2 crore) and all-rounder Odean Smith (bought for base price of 50 lakh). Williamson, the New Zealand captain, was with SRH last season while Odean was with PBKS last season.
Former England captain and someone who has one of the best brains in the game, Eoin Morgan has been left surprised that the other franchises at the IPL 2023 auction allowed Gujarat Titans to buy Williamson and Odean at their respective base prices.
“I can’t believe the other teams let Gujarat Titans walk away with Odean Smith and Kane Williamson at base price,” Morgan said on Jio Cinema.
Kane Williamson is expected to slot in straightaway in Gujarat’s XI at number 3 after GT had a number of unsuccessful contenders at the position before Hardik Pandya himself had to come up. Williamson at number 3 will allow Pandya to come in at number 4 now and shield Pandya from the new ball in case an early wicket falls.
Odean Smith brings in huge power-hitting with himself – with which he helped Punjab defeat RCB last season – and can regularly bowl 2-3 overs in a T20 game.
So Morgan’s amazement at GT getting Williamson and Odean Smith at their base prices is understandable.
Gujarat Titans squad as they continue building in IPL 2023 auction: Hardik Pandya (c), Noor Ahmad, Yash Dayal, Shubman Gill, Alzarri Joseph, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Darshan Nalkande, Wriddhiman Saha, Pradeep Sangwan, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Matthew Wade, Jayant Yadav, Williamson, Odean Smith, Shivam Mavi, KS Bharat
