The IPL 2023 mini-auction saw the all-rounders dominate the proceedings. While Sam Curran turned out to be the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League as he was bought by Punjab Kings for a record-breaking price of ₹18.5 crores, on the other hand, Ben Stokes (bought by CSK for ₹16.25 crore) and Cameron Green (bought by Mumbai Indians for ₹17.5 crores) also went for some jaw-dropping amounts.
Besides them, another player who had a great time at the auctions is West Indies wicket-keeper batter Nicholas Pooran as he emerged as one of the costliest picks in the IPL 2023 auctions. Pooran was brought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 16 crore in the IPL 2023 mini-auction in Kochi on Friday.
Previously, Pooran played for SunRisers Hyderabad however he was released following his poor outing in the IPL 2022. He also couldn’t do much in the T20 World Cup as the Windies crashed out from the opening round under his captaincy. Despite having an off-time at the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia earlier this year, Pooran’s services were secured at a huge amount of INR 16 crores.
Nicholas Pooran, who had set his base price of ₹2 crores, got Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) into intense bidding for him. With this deal, Pooran became the most expensive West Indies player ever.
Chris Gayle Trolled Pooran
Meanwhile, Chris Gayle, Pooran’s former teammate, had a funny take on the wicketkeeper’s rich outing at the IPL 2023 auction. Speaking on Jio Cinema, Gayle joked: “Nikki P, the money that I lend you, can I get it back please,”
As the expert panelists, which included players like AB de Villiers, Anil Kumble, Scott Styris, carried the discussion further, Chris Gayle continued to come up with heavy jokes one after the other. Reacting to the all-rounders bagging heavy money, Gayle said: “these three are private jet category players.”
Gautam Gambhir Explained Why LSG Spent A Huge Amount On Pooran
After the auctions, Gautam Gambhir, the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants, explained the reason for spending huge money on Poran. Speaking to Jio Cinema, Gambhir said: “We did not even think about what he did in the last IPL season. It was just his ability. We were clear on the fact that we had to have someone like him, someone of his caliber. He is 26-27 and probably he is going to start peaking from here on. It’s not about how many runs you score, it’s about the impact, if he can win 3-4 games, he has that ability. How many players have the ability to play in the top 4 and as well at 6-7. Nicholas has that ability,“
