Jharkhand’s uncapped cricketer, Kumar Kushagra invited bids from as many as three IPL franchises at the IPL 2024 auction on Tuesday (December 20). The 19-year-old has made a lot of noise in the past couple of years for his outstanding performances in domestic cricket.
When his name came up for the bid at the auction, it was Chennai Super Kings, who went after him but had to face a fierce bidding war with Gujarat Titans. The two battled hard to acquire the Kushagra’s services.
However, once he crossed the INR 2 Crores mark, the Yellow Army gave up and it looked like the 19-year-old would be part of Gujarat for the upcoming season. Delhi Capitals, out of nowhere, entered the fray and, eventually, bought him for a massive sum of INR 7.2 crore.
Much like MS Dhoni, Kumar Kushagra hails from Jharkhand and is a wicket-keeper batter. He first made headlines after hitting a double-century in a Ranji Match, thereby, becoming the youngest player to score a double-hundred in the tournament.
Kumar Kushagra Stats
His record in List A cricket career speaks for itself. Kushagra has 700 runs to his name in 23 matches at an average of 46.7. The one knock that took notice of the scouts was in the Vijay Hazare Tournament this year, where he blasted 67 runs in just 37 deliveries while batting at number 6.
His knock helped his team chase down a 355-run target against Maharashtra. It will be interesting to see if he gets an opportunity to showcase his mettle for Delhi in the upcoming edition.
Apart from him, Delhi has a few other wicket-keeping options in Rishabh Pant, Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs. In a bid to strengthen their middle order, they have acquired Harry Brook for 4 crores. In the bowling department, they have invested in Jhye Richardson, who has been bought for INR 5 crore.
Delhi Capitals Complete Squad After IPL 2024 Auction
Retained
Rishabh Pant (c), David Warner (c, 2023), Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Marsh, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Pravin Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Abishek Porel, Lalit Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dhull.
Bought
Harry Brook (INR 4 crore), Tristan Stubbs (INR 50 lakh), Ricky Bhui (INR 20 lakh), Kumar Kushagra (INR 7.20 crore), Rasikh Dar (INR 20 lakh), Jhye Richardson (INR 5 crore), Sumit Kumar (INR 1 crore), Shai Hope (INR 75 lakh), Swastik Chhikara (INR 20 lakh)
