Hyderabad: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 auction has come to end throwing up plenty of surprises. From capped cricketers going unsold to uncapped youngsters fetching big deal, the Indian cricket fans have seen it all.
During Thursday's auction in Kolkata, similar things happened. While New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham was bought for INR 50 lakh (base price) by Kings XI Punjab, renowned names like Tim Southee, Adam Zampa and Liam Plunkett didn't find any takers.
Here ETV Bharat list out top five costliest buys.
Pat Cummins (INR 15.5 crore)
Franchise: Kolkata Knight Riders
Australia pace bowler Pat Cummins left everyone stunned as he became the most expensive foreign signing in the history of IPL, surpassing England all-rounder Ben Stokes.
In IPL 2017, Rising Pune Supergiant signed Stokes for INR 14.5 crore. Cummins, in the process, also became the second most expensive player in the history of IPL auction, after Yuvraj Singh, who was signed by the then Delhi Daredevils for Rs 16 crore in 2015.
Mainly a fast bowler, the Aussie can also swing his bat when requires. He also has a whopping strike-rate of 140.00 in the IPL.
Glenn Maxwell (INR 10.75 crore)
Franchise: Kings XI Punjab
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who recently took a break from international cricket due to mental health issue, returned to Kings XI Punjab after 2017.
Though Maxwell is known for his hard-hitting batting style, he has been rather inconsistent in IPL. However, his ability to smash boundaries under pressure situations helped him to make a case for himself.
His right-arm off-spin can also prove useful.
Chris Morris (INR 10 crore)
Franchise: Royal Challengers Bangalore
South African bowling all-rounder Chris Morris is one of the biggest gainers at the IPL 2020 auction as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) signed him for whopping INR 10 crore.
RCB beat Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians to sign Morris for the upcoming season.
Sheldon Cottrell (INR 8.5 crore)
Franchise: Kings XI Punjab
Flamboyant West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell has become a millionaire overnight. The left-arm pacer triggered a bidding war between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab before Delhi Capitals joined the bid. However, KXIP had the last laugh as they signed the West Indies for INR 8.5 crore.
Nathan Coulter-Nile (INR 8 crore)
Franchise: Mumbai Indians
Australians are the biggest gainers at the IPL 2020 auction, and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who registered himself in the auction at a base price of INR 1 crore, made a comeback to Mumbai Indians squad after six years for a whopping INR 8 crore.
