The much-awaited auction of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 took place on 18 February 2021. After closing the registrations on 13 February, the 14th edition took exciting turns, and changes in the teams and new records were also set. The South African allrounder Chris Morris (RR) became the costliest ever player at an IPL auction at Rs.16.25 crore breaking the earlier record in Yuvraj Singh’s name at Rs. 16 crore. However, Krishnappa Gowtham (CSK) became the most expensive Indian uncapped player at Rs. 9.25 crore at the IPL 2021 auction.
A total of 292 players were enlisted for the shortened auctions — 164 of them Indians and 125 overseas. Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith being sold to Delhi Capitals for ₹ 2.2 crores. The most anticipated bid was for the last bid of the auction, Arjun Tendulkar, who was sold to Mumbai Indians at Rs. 20 lakhs. On announcing the name of Shahrukh Khan, the attention was shifted from the celebrity to the cricketer. This gave a boost to the young 25-year-old cricketer. The top buys of IPL 2021 auction are:
1. Chris Morris – Rs. 16.25 crores (RR)
2. Kyle Jameison – Rs. 15 crores (RCB)
3. Glenn Maxwell – Rs. 14.25 crores (RCB)
4. Jhye Richardson – Rs. 14 crores (PBSK)
5. K. Gowtham – Rs. 9.25 crores (CSK)
The 14th edition of IPL is expected to occur in April 2021 after the Indian cricket series with England. However, the official announcement is yet to be made. After the earlier edtion being of UAE grounds following the Covid-19 preventive measures, this year’s edition is set to return in different cities on Indian soils. A total of 60 matches will be played in the evening schedule. The interested buyers can find the details regarding match tickets in March 2021.
