IPL 2017 auction: Where will the South Africans be playing?
The annual festival of pyjama cricket is upon us again as the world’s best prepare for a six-week slog around India. Here’s who struck gold… and who will be watching on TV with the rest of us.
All eyes were on cricket’s greatest cattle market in Bengaluru on Monday morning as the Indian Premier League returned for 2017 with its annual bidding bunfight.
There were mixed fortunes for the South Africans up for auction at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, including Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir and some bloke called Kyle Abbott.
But who would be snapped up as a Supergiant? Who would become a hired Daredevil? And who would be left scratching around by the bins out the back for Ben Stokes’ loose change?
Rabada is the big winner in his first tilt at the IPL – and he hasn’t even bowled a ball yet. The 21-year-old hotshot sparked a bidding war between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab, with the Daredevils holding out for a deal that will net the paceman INR 5 crores.
It sounds far more impressive when you convert it to $746,000 or R10 million, five times his base price.
“KG” won’t be alone in Delhi either, with Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris and JP Duminy all under contract for this year with a franchise that last reached the play-offs back in 2012.
While his Proteas team-mate laughs all the way to the bank, Tahir will be left wondering what on earth he’s done wrong after going unsold following his release by the Daredevils after the 2016 tournament.
Abbott and David Wiese won’t be (Kol)packing their bags for India either, after being ignored at base prices of INR 1.5 crores and INR 30 lakhs respectively.
There was also disappointment as South African internationals Farhaan Behardien, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius all missed out as 27 overseas players were sold among the 66 in total. Franchise bigwigs must have missed Phehlulwayo’s exploits in New Zealand over the weekend.
Away from the auction room drama, AB de Villiers will continue his commitment with Royal Challengers Bangalore alongside Tabraiz Shamsi, while Faf du Plessis returns to Rising Pune Supergiants for 2017.
Batting duo Hashim Amla and David Miller, meanwhile, have been retained by Kings XI Punjab.
The 10th edition of the T20 jamboree runs from 5 April to 21 May.