IPL Auction: KKR Pay Whopping 5 Crore For Carlos Brathwaite; No Buyer For Yuvraj Singh

Meanwhile, India batsman Hanuma Vihari went at four times his base price for INR 2 Crore to Delhi Capitals.

Updated on: 18 December 2018 5:05 pm

The West Indies pair of Shimron Hetmyer and Carlos Brathwaite earned big even as legendary names like Yuvraj Singh and Brendon McCullum remained unsold at the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction in Jaipur on Tuesday.

Hetmyer, who impressed during the limited-overs' leg of the India-Windies series earlier this year, was the first big earner. The 21-year-old was picked up for INR 4.2 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore after an intense bidding war.

Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have wanted the left-handed batsman's services. He had a base price of INR 50 lakhs. It will be his first season in the world's most lucrative T20 cricket league.

But it was the Windies T20I captain Carlos Brathwaite who became the costliest player early in the auction. The bowling all-rounder was picked up for INR 5 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders, who staved off competition from Kings XI Punjab. His base prize was INR 75 lakhs.

Another West Indian to get an attractive deal was wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran. The 23-year-old, who came with a base price of Rs 75 lakh, went for Rs 4.20 crore to KXIP.

India batsman Hanuma Vihari went at four times his base price for INR 2 crore to Delhi Capitals.

But there were no takers for celebrated Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh and also New Zealand great Brendon McCullum and England all-rounder Chris Woakes. Both the players were in the top-bracket with a base price of INR 2 crore each.

Yuvraj entered into the auction with a base price of INR one crore and could still find a buyer later in the auction if he is among the unsold players brought back into the pool by the franchises.

Yuvraj going unsold was not particularly surprising as he endured a lean run in the 2018 edition after KXIP bought him at a base price of Rs two crore before releasing him in November.

Other big names who went unsold in the first round of the auction were: Manoj Tiwary (Base price INR 50 lakhs), Cheteshwar Pujara (Base price INR 50 lakhs), Alex Hales (Base price INR 1.5 crores), Martin Guptill (Base price INR 1 crore), Chris Jordan (Base price INR 1 crore), etc.