The IPL 2021 auction came to an end with all teams, except Rajasthan Royals (24) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (22), completing their squad of 25 players. Names, particularly some exciting all-rounders made headlines, the likes of Chris Morris breaking Yuvraj Singh’s five-year-old record and being sold for Rs 16.25 crores by Rajasthan Royals. Youngsters, Jhye Richardson, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Curran and Shahrukh Khan also saw franchises shelling out money for them.
Here are the top five players at the IPL auction 2021:
Chris Morris
The cost of being Chris Morris is a tank full of expectations that trails whether it is with the bat or ball. The South African player has earned a name in the limited-overs format with nearly nine years of experience on his resume. The 33-yeat-old all-rounder comes with the ability to strike the ball in the death and also deliver a four-over quota, picking key wickets.
However, his ship has never been a steady one in the cash-rich league as starting off in 2013 as a Chennai Super Kings player, he has also been a part of Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore over the years. He was picked by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 16.25 crore, making him the most expensive player in the history of IPL.
Kyle Jamieson
A 6 ft 6-inch tall pacer with an acclaimed history with the red ball was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 15 crore, making him the second most expensive player in the 2021 auction. Jamieson will join the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini and Daniel Sams in the quest for RCB’s maiden IPL title.
Glenn Maxwell
Need 40 odd runs in the last 15 balls? With a player like Maxwell in the arsenal, the target will never look unachievable. Coming into the IPL scene being named as the ‘million dollar baby’ in 2013, Maxwell has enjoyed the title of a match-winner over the years. Even with a dip in form and after being released by Punjab, the Aussie managed to attract a bid worth 14.25 crore from the Royal Challengers Bangalore, which means he will be seen enjoying the company of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli at a relatively smaller ground.
Jhye Richardson
A 29-wicket season at the Big Bash League made 24-year-old Jhye Richardson one of the top picks in the IPL auction. With the ability to fox batsmen with his swing bowling, Richardson will be seen in Punjab Kings’ colours in the 2021 season as he was bought for a whopping Rs 14 crore.
While the Perth Scorchers star hasn’t had the best of outings with the national team, his prowess in franchise cricket makes him a vital addition to a team that needed to pair the likes of Mohammed Shami and Chris Jordan with a quality pacer.
Krishnappa Gowtham
It was 2018 when Krishnappa Gowtham showed his muscle and power when he scored 33 runs off 11 balls to hand Mumbai Indians a shocking defeat. Along with his hard-hitting, the former Rajasthan Royals player also comes as a decent off-spin option. He represented Kings XI Punjab, now changed Punjab Kings, in the last season scoring 42 runs and dismissing only one batsman. This year, Gowtham attracted Rs 9.25 crore from Chennai Super Kings making him one of the highest gainers in the auctions.
