Wicketkeeper-batsman Vishnu Vinod and left-arm medium-fast bowler Lukman Meriwala are eager to show their mettle under Captain Shreyas Iyer and Coach Ricky Ponting in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. The talented domestic players were picked up by the Delhi Capitals at their base price of Rs 20 lakh in the IPL Auction on 18 February 2021.

Vishnu Vinod, who plays for Kerala in domestic cricket, has scored 906 runs, taken 10 catches and effected 5 stumpings in 35 matches in his T20 career. Meanwhile, Lukman Meriwala has picked up 72 wickets in 44 matches at an average of 14.54 in T20s. The 29-year-old, who plays for Baroda in domestic cricket, finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 with 15 scalps.

Vishnu Vinod expressed that he is looking forward to playing alongside Australian superstar Steve Smith in the upcoming IPL, "I am excited to play in a team of youngsters who were last year’s finalists. It will be exciting to play alongside Steve Smith and to be coached by Ricky Ponting. I am also looking forward to play under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy as well."

The 27-year-old, who played three matches for RCB in IPL 2017, spoke about his experience of sharing the dressing room with AB de Villiers, " I look up to AB de Villiers. I was in awe of AB when I saw him and got to be with him in person. I was too shy to even talk to him. During a team meeting, he once told me 'I will be watching you'. He told me to practice breathing while batting to help me attain clarity while thinking and playing. I have been practising that ever since he told me."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-england-favourites-to-win-t20-world-cup-but-dont-rule-out-india-ryan-sidebottom-370657" hreflang="en">Exclusive: England favourites to win T20 World Cup but don't rule out India - Ryan Sidebottom</a>

Meanwhile, Lukman Meriwala is looking forward to spending time with Delhi Capitals' speedsters Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Kagiso Rabada. "I am really happy to join the Delhi Capitals. My family and the people in my village are also very happy. I am looking forward to speaking with Ishant (Sharma) bhai, Umesh (Yadav) bhai and Kagiso Rabada in the camp. Whenever I make a mistake, I will speak to them and work on my mistakes."

After a fantastic performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021, the fast bowler expected to be picked by an IPL team in the auction. However, it was still a surreal feeling for the 29-year-old when he heard that he had been acquired by an IPL team for the first time in his life.

"When the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 was held, I didn't think about anything else and focussed on only that tournament. After doing well there, I expected to be picked by an IPL team this year. When the auction was going on, I was practising in the nets in Surat. The Vijay Hazare Trophy was going on that time. Our team's (Baroda) video analyst came to the nets and told me that I have been picked by Delhi Capitals. I stopped bowling immediately and was so happy to hear the news. Our nets session was also paused for five minutes as all the players in my team congratulated me," said Meriwala.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-i-first-arrived-at-chennai-csks-lungi-ngidi-reveals-how-ms-dhoni-gave-him-goosebumps-370702" hreflang="en">'When I first arrived at Chennai...': CSK's Lungi Ngidi reveals how MS Dhoni gave him 'goosebumps'</a>

The fast bowler has had to endure a long and hard journey until he achieved his IPL dream. Meriwala had given up on cricket at one point, but with his father's support, he has worked his way up the levels of professional cricket.

"I started playing cricket in 2003, but I was playing only club cricket then and I couldn't find a way to move forward. So, I lost hope and gave up cricket, and started working as a welder in 2007. After around two years, my father told me that he would support my career no matter what. Then I played a U-19 tournament for Baroda. After which, I kept working hard and kept moving up the ranks. After returning to cricket in 2009, I made my Ranji Trophy debut in 2017," said the 29-year-old.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Vishnu Vinod and left-arm medium-fast bowler Lukman Meriwala are eager to show their mettle under Captain Shreyas Iyer and Coach Ricky Ponting in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Vishnu Vinod and left-arm medium-fast bowler Lukman Meriwala are eager to show their mettle under Captain Shreyas Iyer and Coach Ricky Ponting in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. The talented domestic players were picked up by the Delhi Capitals at their base price of Rs 20 lakh in the IPL Auction on 18 February 2021. Vishnu Vinod, who plays for Kerala in domestic cricket, has scored 906 runs, taken 10 catches and effected 5 stumpings in 35 matches in his T20 career. Meanwhile, Lukman Meriwala has picked up 72 wickets in 44 matches at an average of 14.54 in T20s. The 29-year-old, who plays for Baroda in domestic cricket, finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 with 15 scalps. Vishnu Vinod expressed that he is looking forward to playing alongside Australian superstar Steve Smith in the upcoming IPL, "I am excited to play in a team of youngsters who were last year’s finalists. It will be exciting to play alongside Steve Smith and to be coached by Ricky Ponting. I am also looking forward to play under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy as well." The 27-year-old, who played three matches for RCB in IPL 2017, spoke about his experience of sharing the dressing room with AB de Villiers, " I look up to AB de Villiers. I was in awe of AB when I saw him and got to be with him in person. I was too shy to even talk to him. During a team meeting, he once told me 'I will be watching you'. He told me to practice breathing while batting to help me attain clarity while thinking and playing. I have been practising that ever since he told me." ALSO READ: Exclusive: England favourites to win T20 World Cup but don't rule out India - Ryan Sidebottom Meanwhile, Lukman Meriwala is looking forward to spending time with Delhi Capitals' speedsters Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Kagiso Rabada. "I am really happy to join the Delhi Capitals. My family and the people in my village are also very happy. I am looking forward to speaking with Ishant (Sharma) bhai, Umesh (Yadav) bhai and Kagiso Rabada in the camp. Whenever I make a mistake, I will speak to them and work on my mistakes." After a fantastic performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021, the fast bowler expected to be picked by an IPL team in the auction. However, it was still a surreal feeling for the 29-year-old when he heard that he had been acquired by an IPL team for the first time in his life. "When the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 was held, I didn't think about anything else and focussed on only that tournament. After doing well there, I expected to be picked by an IPL team this year. When the auction was going on, I was practising in the nets in Surat. The Vijay Hazare Trophy was going on that time. Our team's (Baroda) video analyst came to the nets and told me that I have been picked by Delhi Capitals. I stopped bowling immediately and was so happy to hear the news. Our nets session was also paused for five minutes as all the players in my team congratulated me," said Meriwala. ALSO READ: 'When I first arrived at Chennai...': CSK's Lungi Ngidi reveals how MS Dhoni gave him 'goosebumps' The fast bowler has had to endure a long and hard journey until he achieved his IPL dream. Meriwala had given up on cricket at one point, but with his father's support, he has worked his way up the levels of professional cricket. "I started playing cricket in 2003, but I was playing only club cricket then and I couldn't find a way to move forward. So, I lost hope and gave up cricket, and started working as a welder in 2007. After around two years, my father told me that he would support my career no matter what. Then I played a U-19 tournament for Baroda. After which, I kept working hard and kept moving up the ranks. After returning to cricket in 2009, I made my Ranji Trophy debut in 2017," said the 29-year-old.

IPL 2021: Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala share their excitement about joining Delhi Capitals

England wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings has recalled the first time he saw Rishabh Pant in the nets&nbsp;during his time with Delhi Daredevils – now Delhi Capitals. Billings spent two seasons with the Delhi franchise before being signed up by Chennai Super Kings.&nbsp;

During the auction of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Billings was roped in by Delhi Capitals for his base price of INR 2 crore.&nbsp;Ahead of IPL 2021, the England international recalled when he spotted Pant at the nets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Billings said after watching Pant smacking the likes of Kagiso&nbsp;Rabada, Chris Morris and Nathan Coulter-Nile at the nets, he turned straight to Rahul Dravid, who was the mentor of the franchise at that time,&nbsp;to ask about the youngster while terming the southpaw as "unbelievable”.&nbsp;&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ind-vs-eng-rishabh-pants-magnificent-century-against-jimmy-anderson-and-co-368226" hreflang="en">IND vs ENG: Rishabh Pant's magnificent century against Jimmy Anderson and Co.</a>

“With Pant, I played with him for 2 years when I was in Delhi. I turned to Rahul Dravid and asked 'who is this kid?' He was smacking Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Morris,&nbsp;Rabada&nbsp;everywhere in the open net. I was just thinking 'this is unbelievable!' and that year he lit up,” Billings told&nbsp;ESPNCricinfo.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Billings will be back with Delhi Capitals and the&nbsp;glovesman&nbsp;is looking forward to playing with Pant again.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It's been great to see him evolve as a cricketer and to be in the same team as him again would be great,”&nbsp;Billings said.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-venues-could-host-icc-t20-world-cup-matches-report-369147" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 venues could host ICC T20 World Cup matches: Report</a>

Meanwhile, Pant has seen a massive turnaround in his career. After warming the Team India bench for around a year, across formats, and finding him down in the pecking order, the swashbuckling southpaw&nbsp;played match-winning knocks against Australia and England.&nbsp;

While India defeated Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series, the Virat Kohli-led side hammered England 3-1 in the home series to top the ICC World Test Championship standings.&nbsp;

India will lock horns with New Zealand in the final of ICC WTC, scheduled to be played from June 18-22 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.&nbsp;&nbsp;

England wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings has recalled the first time he saw Rishabh Pant in the nets during his time with Delhi Daredevils – now Delhi Capitals.

England wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings has recalled the first time he saw Rishabh Pant in the nets during his time with Delhi Daredevils – now Delhi Capitals. Billings spent two seasons with the Delhi franchise before being signed up by Chennai Super Kings. During the auction of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Billings was roped in by Delhi Capitals for his base price of INR 2 crore. Ahead of IPL 2021, the England international recalled when he spotted Pant at the nets. Billings said after watching Pant smacking the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Nathan Coulter-Nile at the nets, he turned straight to Rahul Dravid, who was the mentor of the franchise at that time, to ask about the youngster while terming the southpaw as "unbelievable”. IN PICS | IND vs ENG: Rishabh Pant's magnificent century against Jimmy Anderson and Co. “With Pant, I played with him for 2 years when I was in Delhi. I turned to Rahul Dravid and asked 'who is this kid?' He was smacking Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Morris, Rabada everywhere in the open net. I was just thinking 'this is unbelievable!' and that year he lit up,” Billings told ESPNCricinfo. Billings will be back with Delhi Capitals and the glovesman is looking forward to playing with Pant again. “It's been great to see him evolve as a cricketer and to be in the same team as him again would be great,” Billings said. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 venues could host ICC T20 World Cup matches: Report Meanwhile, Pant has seen a massive turnaround in his career. After warming the Team India bench for around a year, across formats, and finding him down in the pecking order, the swashbuckling southpaw played match-winning knocks against Australia and England. While India defeated Australia 2-1 in the four-Test series, the Virat Kohli-led side hammered England 3-1 in the home series to top the ICC World Test Championship standings. India will lock horns with New Zealand in the final of ICC WTC, scheduled to be played from June 18-22 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

'I turned to Rahul Dravid and asked...' Sam Billings recalls watching Rishabh Pant for first time

The venues of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 could end up hosting the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in India in October-November.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata gearing up to host the much-anticipated IPL 2021, a report in 'The New Indian Express’ has said that the six venues&nbsp;are likely to host ICC's marquee event later in the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The report adds that the BCCI wanted eight venues for T20 World Cup but with COVID-19 complications still in the country, the Indian board is likely to limit the venues to six.&nbsp;

TRENDING:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-jhulan-goswamis-spirit-of-cricket-moment-with-south-africas-nadine-de-klerk-369110" hreflang="en">WATCH: Jhulan Goswami's 'Spirit of Cricket' moment with South Africa's Nadine de Klerk</a>

Generally, venues are revealed around six months ahead of an ICC event but given the COVID-19 pandemic, the venues for the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup are likely to be announced late.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Both IPL and T20 World Cup are multi-team tournaments and offer logistical challenges for&nbsp;organisers. While IPL is&nbsp;an&nbsp;eight-team tournament, T20 World Cup will have as many as 16 teams.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Initially, the BCCI had the likes of&nbsp;Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mohali and&nbsp;Dharamsala.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-schedule-team-wise-full-fixture-list-date-time-and-venues-368637" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues</a>

“Moving from one city to the other for one match will come with a huge risk. If the venue count is down, it will help us in delivering a smooth tournament. If need be, a similar schedule like IPL where matches are restricted to not more than two cities at a given point of time will be considered. We have to be as flexible as possible,” a BCCI official told the&nbsp;daily.&nbsp;

WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/worlds-largest-cricket-stadium-in-ahmedabad-hosts-india-vs-england-pink-ball-test-365985" hreflang="en">World's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad</a>

The BCCI is looking to host the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in Chennai and Bengaluru with the final likely to be hosted by Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

The venues of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 could end up hosting the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in India in October-November. With cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata gearing up to host the much-anticipated IPL 2021, a report in 'The New Indian Express’ has said that the six venues are likely to host ICC's marquee event later in the year.

The venues of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 could end up hosting the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in India in October-November. With cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata gearing up to host the much-anticipated IPL 2021, a report in 'The New Indian Express’ has said that the six venues are likely to host ICC's marquee event later in the year. The report adds that the BCCI wanted eight venues for T20 World Cup but with COVID-19 complications still in the country, the Indian board is likely to limit the venues to six. TRENDING: WATCH: Jhulan Goswami's 'Spirit of Cricket' moment with South Africa's Nadine de Klerk Generally, venues are revealed around six months ahead of an ICC event but given the COVID-19 pandemic, the venues for the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup are likely to be announced late. Both IPL and T20 World Cup are multi-team tournaments and offer logistical challenges for organisers. While IPL is an eight-team tournament, T20 World Cup will have as many as 16 teams. Initially, the BCCI had the likes of Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mohali and Dharamsala. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues “Moving from one city to the other for one match will come with a huge risk. If the venue count is down, it will help us in delivering a smooth tournament. If need be, a similar schedule like IPL where matches are restricted to not more than two cities at a given point of time will be considered. We have to be as flexible as possible,” a BCCI official told the daily. WATCH: World's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad The BCCI is looking to host the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in Chennai and Bengaluru with the final likely to be hosted by Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

IPL 2021 venues could host ICC T20 World Cup matches: Report

In what comes as a huge boost for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, England players are set to skip the first Test&nbsp;against New Zealand to participate in the 14th&nbsp;edition of the lucrative T20 tournament, which will be held in India from April 9 to May 30.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With T20 World Cups and ODI World Cups approaching, the ECB has given the option of picking between the Test series and IPL. The England players, if their team go till the final of IPL 2021, will at least miss the first Test match against New Zealand, scheduled to start from June 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;

England head coach Chris Silverwood confirmed the development as he said the players will be staying for the entire IPL 2021.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-schedule-team-wise-full-fixture-list-date-time-and-venues-368637" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues</a>

"We haven't looked at selection or anything like that for the Tests yet, but, for me, playing for your country is a big thing. It's difficult to change anything so they'll be staying for the whole IPL as it stands, yes. Listen, we'll be looking at the Test series and working our way back to see what sort of preparation we need and we haven't done that at this time. It's something we will be doing,” Silverwood said during a virtual press conference.&nbsp;

The round-robin phase of IPL 2021 will end on May 23 with the playoffs and final taking place from May 25 to 30.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/had-to-dig-deep-to-find-water-ravi-shastri-on-road-to-world-test-championship-final-368614" hreflang="en">Had to dig deep to find water: Ravi Shastri on road to World Test Championship final</a>

England's players in IPL (List includes players who aren't part of the Test team): Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Liam Livingstone (all Rajasthan Royals), Sam Curran, Moeen Ali (both Chennai Super Kings), Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan (both Punjab Kings), Chris&nbsp;Woakes, Sam Billings, Tom Curran (all Delhi Capitals), Eoin Morgan (Kolkata Knight Riders), Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad).&nbsp;

In what comes as a huge boost for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, England players are set to skip the first Test against New Zealand to participate in the 14th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament, which will be held in India from April 9 to May 30.

In what comes as a huge boost for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, England players are set to skip the first Test against New Zealand to participate in the 14th edition of the lucrative T20 tournament, which will be held in India from April 9 to May 30. With T20 World Cups and ODI World Cups approaching, the ECB has given the option of picking between the Test series and IPL. The England players, if their team go till the final of IPL 2021, will at least miss the first Test match against New Zealand, scheduled to start from June 2. England head coach Chris Silverwood confirmed the development as he said the players will be staying for the entire IPL 2021. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues "We haven't looked at selection or anything like that for the Tests yet, but, for me, playing for your country is a big thing. It's difficult to change anything so they'll be staying for the whole IPL as it stands, yes. Listen, we'll be looking at the Test series and working our way back to see what sort of preparation we need and we haven't done that at this time. It's something we will be doing,” Silverwood said during a virtual press conference. The round-robin phase of IPL 2021 will end on May 23 with the playoffs and final taking place from May 25 to 30. ALSO READ: Had to dig deep to find water: Ravi Shastri on road to World Test Championship final England's players in IPL (List includes players who aren't part of the Test team): Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Liam Livingstone (all Rajasthan Royals), Sam Curran, Moeen Ali (both Chennai Super Kings), Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan (both Punjab Kings), Chris Woakes, Sam Billings, Tom Curran (all Delhi Capitals), Eoin Morgan (Kolkata Knight Riders), Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad).

Huge boost for IPL 2021 franchises as England players set to skip New Zealand Test

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9. However, no franchise will have home advantage this term with matches to be held&nbsp;in neutral venues only. The schedule of IPL 2021 and the introduction of neutral venue have left a few franchises unhappy with some of them raising question on why they are being barred from playing in their home venues.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata&nbsp;will host&nbsp;IPL 2021 matches. The reason behind keeping neutral venues was to ensure parity on the field for every franchise while also ensuring no one gets added advantage of brand activation.&nbsp;

It was reported that three franchises were discontent when&nbsp;their&nbsp;venues weren't considered for IPL 2021 and according to a report in&nbsp;Cricbuzz, by addressing the concerns of three teams, who had earlier opposed the six-venue proposal,&nbsp;five other franchises could be less than satisfied with the final&nbsp;schedule.&nbsp;

"You are denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai. If there are to be no crowds, what stops CSK to play in Chennai and Mumbai Indians to play in Mumbai," asks one of the franchise officials&nbsp;as quoted by&nbsp;Cricbuzz.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-schedule-team-wise-full-fixture-list-date-time-and-venues-368637" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues</a>

"Delhi have players like Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer who are from Mumbai and the team plays its first three games at the Wankhede. They will have advantage just as Punjab Kings who have players like KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and coach Anil Kumble, and they play five games in Bangalore? Don't they have the advantage of being familiar with the conditions at the&nbsp;Chinnaswamy&nbsp;Stadium? The plan can be counter-productive."&nbsp;

The other&nbsp;concerns&nbsp;raised over the schedule have been on safety standards and logistical hazards. A team will have to fly out at least four times and according to some franchises, that could expose those participating&nbsp;to outsiders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-banter-ravi-shastri-reacts-to-viral-memes-around-him-on-social-media-368581" hreflang="en">It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media</a>

"Those inside the team bubble are not allowed to meet the owners of their franchise and here by having to fly four times, change hotels and buses, the players will get exposed to outsiders," cautioned a franchise official, adding, "No doubt, we will engage charter flights and private airports but there will always be questions over the sanctity of the bio bubbles."&nbsp;

The report adds that the reason for&nbsp;finalising&nbsp;six venues was to spread out the risk factor amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

"It is a safer approach. What if the pandemic situation worsens in Maharashtra? Where do we go then? If now the situation worsens in Mumbai, or any of the other cities, we're prepared to host the tournament elsewhere," says one of those involved with the scheduling of the tournament.&nbsp;

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9.

The schedule and fixture list of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was released on Sunday. Spread over six cities, IPL 2021 is set to commence from April 9. However, no franchise will have home advantage this term with matches to be held in neutral venues only. The schedule of IPL 2021 and the introduction of neutral venue have left a few franchises unhappy with some of them raising question on why they are being barred from playing in their home venues. The cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata will host IPL 2021 matches. The reason behind keeping neutral venues was to ensure parity on the field for every franchise while also ensuring no one gets added advantage of brand activation. It was reported that three franchises were discontent when their venues weren't considered for IPL 2021 and according to a report in Cricbuzz, by addressing the concerns of three teams, who had earlier opposed the six-venue proposal, five other franchises could be less than satisfied with the final schedule. "You are denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai. If there are to be no crowds, what stops CSK to play in Chennai and Mumbai Indians to play in Mumbai," asks one of the franchise officials as quoted by Cricbuzz. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues "Delhi have players like Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer who are from Mumbai and the team plays its first three games at the Wankhede. They will have advantage just as Punjab Kings who have players like KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and coach Anil Kumble, and they play five games in Bangalore? Don't they have the advantage of being familiar with the conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium? The plan can be counter-productive." The other concerns raised over the schedule have been on safety standards and logistical hazards. A team will have to fly out at least four times and according to some franchises, that could expose those participating to outsiders. ALSO READ: It's banter!: Ravi Shastri reacts to viral memes around him on social media "Those inside the team bubble are not allowed to meet the owners of their franchise and here by having to fly four times, change hotels and buses, the players will get exposed to outsiders," cautioned a franchise official, adding, "No doubt, we will engage charter flights and private airports but there will always be questions over the sanctity of the bio bubbles." The report adds that the reason for finalising six venues was to spread out the risk factor amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "It is a safer approach. What if the pandemic situation worsens in Maharashtra? Where do we go then? If now the situation worsens in Mumbai, or any of the other cities, we're prepared to host the tournament elsewhere," says one of those involved with the scheduling of the tournament.

Denying MS Dhoni to play his potential last IPL in Chennai: Franchises left unhappy over scheduling

Cricket multi-millionaire Chris Morris has said that&nbsp;he wants to follow in his father's footsteps by playing for the South African province that dad Willie represented for 12 seasons.

Morris, 33, will play for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 Indian Premier League after the franchise bought him for US$2.2-million, an IPL auction record.&nbsp;

His projected fee will take him past $8-million in earnings from the IPL alone.

It is a different cricketing world from that in which Willie Morris played for what was then known as Northern Transvaal between 1979/80 and 1991/92.

Willie played in an era when cricket in South Africa was taking its first tentative steps towards professionalism.&nbsp;

"Cricketers still needed to have full-time jobs and would go to net practice after a long day in the office," said Chris.

Northern Transvaal had an unusual payment scheme, according to Lee Barnard, who captained Willie Morris for part of his career.&nbsp;

"Batsmen only got paid if they scored at least 25 runs. More guys got out between 21 and 24 than in the whole history of cricket. Bowlers had to meet targets. One player had such a poor season that he couldn’t even pay his laundry bills."

Chris Morris said that cricket had been his life because of his father.&nbsp;

"I always say I was born with a bat in my hand. He would come back from a long day at work and still have the energy to throw balls at me."

South Africa will be scrapping its current franchise system next season and will return to an interprovincial set-up similar to that in which Willie Morris played.&nbsp;

<h2>- IPL 'big surprise' -</h2>

The only big difference is that the province is now known as Northerns, with the name Transvaal having been dropped after the end of apartheid in South Africa.

"I’m quite excited for the new 15-province thing," said Chris.&nbsp;

"If I get the opportunity to play at Centurion for Northerns and follow in Willie’s footsteps that will be quite cool."

Morris said his IPL record signing "came as a very big surprise".&nbsp;

After being released by Royal Challengers Bangalore last year, he wasn't even sure that another franchise would want his brand of aggressive batting, fast bowling and agile fielding.

"I don't think anyone in the cricket fraternity thought cricket would ever pay this well. In the past cricket couldn't set you up for the rest of your life.&nbsp;

"It's the way business is going, the way sport is going, especially in the pandemic.

"I think a lot of people are looking for sport as a way to escape. Sportsmen have a responsibility to provide as much entertainment as we can."

Morris said he looked forward to returning to the Royals, a team he played for 2015. He said earning a big fee would not change his approach to playing.

"The auction is out of our control," he said.&nbsp;

"It's an absolute lottery. At the end of the day I've got to do what I have been doing over the last couple of years.&nbsp;

"There will be a little bit of added pressure, that's natural. But I'm fortunate enough to have been part of this franchise before and I know what I'm getting into.”

The tall all-rounder has also played T20 cricket in Australia’s Big Bash League, South Africa’s Mzansi Super League and for two English counties. Surprisingly, though, his appearances for South Africa in international cricket have been sporadic.

He said during a press conference in Durban, where he is playing in a domestic T20 tournament, that there had been no contact with his home country’s selectors since he was picked as a late replacement for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

And he remains reticent about whether he would be available to play for South Africa in the T20 World Cup in India later this year.&nbsp;

"That's a difficult question," he said. "If that conversation comes, it comes."

Cricket multi-millionaire Chris Morris has said that he wants to follow in his father's footsteps by playing for the South African province that dad Willie represented for 12 seasons.

Cricket multi-millionaire Chris Morris has said that he wants to follow in his father's footsteps by playing for the South African province that dad Willie represented for 12 seasons. Morris, 33, will play for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 Indian Premier League after the franchise bought him for US$2.2-million, an IPL auction record. His projected fee will take him past $8-million in earnings from the IPL alone. It is a different cricketing world from that in which Willie Morris played for what was then known as Northern Transvaal between 1979/80 and 1991/92. Willie played in an era when cricket in South Africa was taking its first tentative steps towards professionalism. "Cricketers still needed to have full-time jobs and would go to net practice after a long day in the office," said Chris. Northern Transvaal had an unusual payment scheme, according to Lee Barnard, who captained Willie Morris for part of his career. "Batsmen only got paid if they scored at least 25 runs. More guys got out between 21 and 24 than in the whole history of cricket. Bowlers had to meet targets. One player had such a poor season that he couldn’t even pay his laundry bills." Chris Morris said that cricket had been his life because of his father. "I always say I was born with a bat in my hand. He would come back from a long day at work and still have the energy to throw balls at me." South Africa will be scrapping its current franchise system next season and will return to an interprovincial set-up similar to that in which Willie Morris played. - IPL 'big surprise' - The only big difference is that the province is now known as Northerns, with the name Transvaal having been dropped after the end of apartheid in South Africa. "I’m quite excited for the new 15-province thing," said Chris. "If I get the opportunity to play at Centurion for Northerns and follow in Willie’s footsteps that will be quite cool." Morris said his IPL record signing "came as a very big surprise". After being released by Royal Challengers Bangalore last year, he wasn't even sure that another franchise would want his brand of aggressive batting, fast bowling and agile fielding. "I don't think anyone in the cricket fraternity thought cricket would ever pay this well. In the past cricket couldn't set you up for the rest of your life. "It's the way business is going, the way sport is going, especially in the pandemic. "I think a lot of people are looking for sport as a way to escape. Sportsmen have a responsibility to provide as much entertainment as we can." Morris said he looked forward to returning to the Royals, a team he played for 2015. He said earning a big fee would not change his approach to playing. "The auction is out of our control," he said. "It's an absolute lottery. At the end of the day I've got to do what I have been doing over the last couple of years. "There will be a little bit of added pressure, that's natural. But I'm fortunate enough to have been part of this franchise before and I know what I'm getting into.” The tall all-rounder has also played T20 cricket in Australia’s Big Bash League, South Africa’s Mzansi Super League and for two English counties. Surprisingly, though, his appearances for South Africa in international cricket have been sporadic. He said during a press conference in Durban, where he is playing in a domestic T20 tournament, that there had been no contact with his home country’s selectors since he was picked as a late replacement for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. And he remains reticent about whether he would be available to play for South Africa in the T20 World Cup in India later this year. "That's a difficult question," he said. "If that conversation comes, it comes."

Multi-millionaire Morris wants to follow in dad’s footsteps

The first week of the&nbsp;DC (Delhi Capitals) Junior League 2021, which began at the&nbsp;Bal Bhavan International School, Dwarka on 21st February 2021, saw numerous talented U-14 players steal the show in the competition. From a double century to six sixes in an over, the 40-over tournament has seen it all.

Telefunken CC's&nbsp;Shaurya Seth blazed his way to 221 runs off 124 balls against Push CCE on his 13th birthday to help his team set a total of 455/2, which is the highest team total of the competition so far. Seth, who smashed 30 fours and 4 sixes in his innings, was ably supported by&nbsp;Kunal Sangwan (101* off 69 balls). The Telefunken CC side defeated Push CCE by a whopping 360 runs.

After the high of a double century by Seth,&nbsp;LB Shastri CC's Captain&nbsp;Arnav Bugga struck six sixes in an over during his innings of 155 runs (off 65 balls) against Harry CA. The Skipper, who cracked 18 fours and 11 sixes in his innings, led his team to a 276-run victory over the Harry CA side.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashwin-root-and-mayers-in-contention-for-icc-player-of-the-month-for-february-367383" hreflang="en">Ashwin, Root and Mayers in contention for ICC Player of the Month for February</a>

The 16-team tournament is being organized to provide a platform for both, boys and girls from the U-14 level, to showcase their talent. Three teams have fielded mixed teams in the competition with&nbsp;Simran Chauhan,&nbsp;Saachi and&nbsp;Minakshi playing for&nbsp;Sports Cube, Push CC and&nbsp;Telefunken CC respectively.

A total of 16 matches have been played in the&nbsp;DC Junior League 2021 so far and Sonnet, Telefunken CC, Baba Haridas CA and Wonders CC have already qualified for the quarter-finals.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/empowering-india-against-the-pandemic-ravi-shastri-receives-first-jab-of-covid-19-vaccine-367365" hreflang="en">'Empowering India against the pandemic': Ravi Shastri receives first jab of COVID-19 vaccine</a>

"The purpose of this league was to give children the much-needed competitive exposure which they had missed in the last one year. Over 240 kids between 10-13 years of age have been playing their hearts out and expressing their hunger for the game," said&nbsp;Jagrit Anand, Head of DC Academies, on the competition.&nbsp;"The tournament has already seen some great records with a 13-year-old boy scoring a double century and another one hitting 6 sixes in an over. There's a lot more to come in the next week of the competition."

The&nbsp;DC Junior League 2021&nbsp;is being held across three venues in Delhi NCR from 21 February to 06 March 2021.

The first week of the DC (Delhi Capitals) Junior League 2021, which began at the Bal Bhavan International School, Dwarka on 21st February 2021, saw numerous talented U-14 players steal the show in the competition.

The first week of the DC (Delhi Capitals) Junior League 2021, which began at the Bal Bhavan International School, Dwarka on 21st February 2021, saw numerous talented U-14 players steal the show in the competition. From a double century to six sixes in an over, the 40-over tournament has seen it all. Telefunken CC's Shaurya Seth blazed his way to 221 runs off 124 balls against Push CCE on his 13th birthday to help his team set a total of 455/2, which is the highest team total of the competition so far. Seth, who smashed 30 fours and 4 sixes in his innings, was ably supported by Kunal Sangwan (101* off 69 balls). The Telefunken CC side defeated Push CCE by a whopping 360 runs. After the high of a double century by Seth, LB Shastri CC's Captain Arnav Bugga struck six sixes in an over during his innings of 155 runs (off 65 balls) against Harry CA. The Skipper, who cracked 18 fours and 11 sixes in his innings, led his team to a 276-run victory over the Harry CA side. ALSO READ: Ashwin, Root and Mayers in contention for ICC Player of the Month for February The 16-team tournament is being organized to provide a platform for both, boys and girls from the U-14 level, to showcase their talent. Three teams have fielded mixed teams in the competition with Simran Chauhan, Saachi and Minakshi playing for Sports Cube, Push CC and Telefunken CC respectively. A total of 16 matches have been played in the DC Junior League 2021 so far and Sonnet, Telefunken CC, Baba Haridas CA and Wonders CC have already qualified for the quarter-finals. ALSO READ: 'Empowering India against the pandemic': Ravi Shastri receives first jab of COVID-19 vaccine "The purpose of this league was to give children the much-needed competitive exposure which they had missed in the last one year. Over 240 kids between 10-13 years of age have been playing their hearts out and expressing their hunger for the game," said Jagrit Anand, Head of DC Academies, on the competition. "The tournament has already seen some great records with a 13-year-old boy scoring a double century and another one hitting 6 sixes in an over. There's a lot more to come in the next week of the competition." The DC Junior League 2021 is being held across three venues in Delhi NCR from 21 February to 06 March 2021.

Double century, six sixes in an over: Top Highlights from week one of ‘DC Junior League 2021’

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is looking forward to playing alongside Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, terming the Indian skipper “the pinnacle of the game” for his sheer dominance across formats. Maxwell was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping INR 14.25 crore despite a&nbsp;below-average outing in IPL 2020 with Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings.&nbsp;

Maxwell said the RCB stint is going to be next level as the Aussie heaped praise on Kohli for his ability to adapt to different formats and deal with the pressure of being the captain of the Indian team and the best player.&nbsp;

"It's (RCB stint) going to be next level," Maxwell told Australian Associated Press (AAP).&nbsp;&nbsp;

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-signed-bats-to-historic-photos-inside-the-hall-of-fame-zone-narendra-modi-stadium-365726" hreflang="en">From signed bats to historic photos: Inside the 'Hall of Fame' zone Narendra Modi Stadium</a>

"He's (Kohli) been the pinnacle of the game for a while as a multi-format player from Tests all the way to T20s. He's been able to adapt his game, dominate for a long period of time and deal with the Indian pressure of being their captain and their best player," Maxwell added.&nbsp;

IPL 2021 is likely to commence in the second week of April and Maxwell is hoping to grasp leadership qualities from Kohli.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I'm looking forward to watching him go about his work, not just in games but in training, and hopefully tapping into some of the leadership stuff and try and learn off him."&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/4th-test-india-pushing-conditions-to-extremities-ball-will-turn-from-ball-one-ben-foakes-366877" hreflang="en">4th Test: India pushing conditions to extremities, ball will turn from ball one - Ben Foakes</a>

"He's been a solid backer of my stance," Maxwell said.&nbsp;

"In a way, he probably understood a lot of the things that I was going through. A lot of expectation and pressure, which I'm sure he can relate to."&nbsp;

Recently, Kohli opened up his battle with depression during India’s tour of England in 2014 while lauding Maxwell’s decision to take a break from the game.&nbsp;

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is looking forward to playing alongside Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, terming the Indian skipper “the pinnacle of the game” for his sheer dominance across formats.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is looking forward to playing alongside Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, terming the Indian skipper “the pinnacle of the game” for his sheer dominance across formats. Maxwell was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping INR 14.25 crore despite a below-average outing in IPL 2020 with Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings. Maxwell said the RCB stint is going to be next level as the Aussie heaped praise on Kohli for his ability to adapt to different formats and deal with the pressure of being the captain of the Indian team and the best player. "It's (RCB stint) going to be next level," Maxwell told Australian Associated Press (AAP). IN PICS: From signed bats to historic photos: Inside the 'Hall of Fame' zone Narendra Modi Stadium "He's (Kohli) been the pinnacle of the game for a while as a multi-format player from Tests all the way to T20s. He's been able to adapt his game, dominate for a long period of time and deal with the Indian pressure of being their captain and their best player," Maxwell added. IPL 2021 is likely to commence in the second week of April and Maxwell is hoping to grasp leadership qualities from Kohli. "I'm looking forward to watching him go about his work, not just in games but in training, and hopefully tapping into some of the leadership stuff and try and learn off him." ALSO READ: 4th Test: India pushing conditions to extremities, ball will turn from ball one - Ben Foakes "He's been a solid backer of my stance," Maxwell said. "In a way, he probably understood a lot of the things that I was going through. A lot of expectation and pressure, which I'm sure he can relate to." Recently, Kohli opened up his battle with depression during India’s tour of England in 2014 while lauding Maxwell’s decision to take a break from the game.

IPL 2021: Glenn Maxwell eager to learn from 'pinnacle of the game' Virat Kohli at RCB

The mini-auction&nbsp;for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which was held in Chennai on February 18,&nbsp;lived up to the expectations of the fans as an action-packed event enthralled the fans with&nbsp;surprises and excitement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Punjab franchise went into the mini-auction&nbsp;not only with the biggest purse but&nbsp;with a revamped brand identity&nbsp;as well. A new name and logo to freshen up things&nbsp;as Kings XI Punjab was renamed to Punjab Kings&nbsp;as the franchise commences a new journey in the world of IPL.&nbsp;

With a purse of INR 53.1 crore in the auction, Punjab Kings were expected to sign some big-name players and the franchise lived up to the expectations. Not only did Punjab Kings sign&nbsp;the world’s number one T20I player, but they also signed&nbsp;two&nbsp;of the brightest Australian talents when it comes to the shortest format of the game.&nbsp;On top of that, Punjab Kings roped in&nbsp;a couple of domestic talents who are known for their exploits in T20 cricket.&nbsp;

As the 14th&nbsp;edition of the Indian Premier League approaches after the completion of mini-auction, Punjab Kings CEO, Satish Menon, exclusively spoke to WION’s Subhayan Chakraborty&nbsp;as he discussed the rebranding of the Punjab franchise,&nbsp;the big-name signings in the auction, growth of Punjab Kings since the inaugural edition of IPL, and much more.&nbsp;

<img alt="Punjab Kings" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="65c59ede-2a80-4f4a-b5cf-64e4715bdd30" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/PK.JPG" />

Below are the excerpts:

Subhayan Chakraborty: What made the franchise go ahead with a new logo and name, and what was the idea behind it?&nbsp;

Satish Menon: The new name and logo were in process for some time. It is not something we changed overnight. We felt it was the right time to refresh things up and give fans something new. Initially, our idea&nbsp;was to revamp the Punjab franchise’s branding in 2022 but with new franchises likely to join from next season onwards, we felt this season was the best time to make the most out of it as the new franchises would naturally be promoting themselves when they are launched. We are delighted with the response to the&nbsp;new name and logo from everyone.

Punjab Kings is a more evolved brand name along with our new logo. We wanted to focus on the core brand. Having said that, the change in logo and name is not about shifting our focus&nbsp;from our ethos. It is more about celebrating unity as a family. The new logo has modern elements in it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Nave andaaz hor wakhre josh de naal 🎺 
swagat karo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> da 💥👑🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://t.co/IVvmsx56Qb">pic.twitter.com/IVvmsx56Qb</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1362069301117607939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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SC: How do you look at Punjab Kings’ growth as a franchise in the last decade?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Satish Menon: It has grown massively. When the IPL was introduced to this country and the cricket community, we were entering unknown territory. India is a cricket crazy&nbsp;nation;&nbsp;people love the sport. As a brand, we have seen tremendous growth in terms of the number of followers not only in India but worldwide. The love and passion for our franchise have just grown despite us not winning silverware, which reflects the loyalty of our fanbase.&nbsp;

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“I am pretty sure the new name will bring us good fortune this year!” 💥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CaptainPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CaptainPunjab</a>, we are pretty much sure, too! 🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/klrahul11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@klrahul11</a> <a href="https://t.co/edIJyFNmv1">pic.twitter.com/edIJyFNmv1</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1362242938353446914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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SC: Punjab Kings have played some good cricket over the years but one thing which is missing is silverware. What do you make of the team's failure to win titles despite trying so many team combinations in the past and&nbsp;now?

Satish Menon: Winning and losing are part and parcel of cricket or any other sport. As you said, we have played some good cricket but we have always been looking to improve and take that next step forward. IPL is top quality and there is only one winner.&nbsp;We obviously want to lift the trophy but at the same time, we want our fans and viewers to enjoy good cricket. Punjab as a team has come close to&nbsp;be in the final stages&nbsp;of the tournament or even win the IPL but it is the failure in the last phases that have hurt us as a team. We are confident in our team, players and everyone associated with it and hope to break the deadlock.&nbsp;

SC: Punjab Kings made some big-name buys in&nbsp;Jhye&nbsp;Richardson, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Dawid Malan - How content&nbsp;are&nbsp;you with how the auction went for Punjab?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Satish Menon: Really content. We almost got everyone we wanted. In mini-auctions or auctions, there will be cases where you miss a key target or two but in hindsight, we are really happy with the players we bought during the auction. The players we bought have&nbsp;a good blend of youth and experience. The staff and team management are happy with the outcome of the auction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Presenting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaSquad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaSquad</a> for the season! 🦁👑 
 
Khush ho tussi❓🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction2021</a> <a href="https://t.co/9sxgNsq0zu">pic.twitter.com/9sxgNsq0zu</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1362452243832659968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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SC: How challenging is it to go into the auction without a confirmed venue for the tournament?&nbsp;

Satish Menon: It is obviously challenging but we can’t complain in today’s world.&nbsp;We are thankful to be able to get a tournament like IPL going. The&nbsp;BCCI and all the franchises gave their best shot for the last edition&nbsp;amid the pandemic&nbsp;and&nbsp;we all&nbsp;are&nbsp;glad to pull it off. Credit to everyone involved.&nbsp;Coming to the auction, we have built our team keeping every challenge in mind. The players will be ready for it so will be everyone associated with Punjab Kings.&nbsp;

SC: What was the thought process behind buying&nbsp;Jhye Richardson for INR 14 crore?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Satish Menon: Jhye&nbsp;was always on our list. He is one of the finest components with the ball in white-ball cricket.&nbsp;We stretched ourselves for Chris Morris but Rajasthan Royals got&nbsp;hold of him.&nbsp;Jhye’s&nbsp;ability to bowl at any stage of the match gives&nbsp;us the flexibility we were looking for. And obviously, he is a very handy player with the bat as well. We are really excited to witness&nbsp;Jhye&nbsp;in Punjab Kings jersey in IPL.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Say Hi to Jhye! 🙋‍♂️ 
 
Who takes wickets for fun, our newly recruited Richardson! 🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/Hi7xpHLp8F">pic.twitter.com/Hi7xpHLp8F</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1362718513425604615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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SC:&nbsp;Punjab Kings got Dawid Malan for just INR 1.5 crore. Did you expect him to go for just&nbsp;INR 1.5 crore given he is the no. 1 T20I batsman?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Satish Menon: We were actually pretty surprised to get Dawid so early. Maybe the combination of other teams played a role.&nbsp;Sometimes&nbsp;when your name pops up in the auction play a role too.&nbsp;He is a quality player and someone who will give us the quality and solidity in the middle order, which we felt was missing. His numbers speak for&nbsp;himself;&nbsp;he has been&nbsp;a top player when it comes to T20 cricket for a while.&nbsp;We have no doubts about the quality Dawid will bring to Punjab Kings.&nbsp;

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✨ 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏 𝐓𝟐𝟎𝐈 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 - 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧✨ 
 
Can’t wait to watch him smash them 🔥 biggies this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> 🍿<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dmalan29?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dmalan29</a> <a href="https://t.co/BWh4fzeyTl">pic.twitter.com/BWh4fzeyTl</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1365534627507527681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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SC: What are your thoughts on a highly-rated talent in Shahrukh Khan?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Satish Menon: Shahrukh Khan is a really exciting talent. A player we had a good look at from domestic tournaments. The way he recently played in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was a glimpse of what he is capable of and we are confident that he is someone who will be there for us for a long. Shahrukh has the ability to finish games and we were looking at someone with similar traits.&nbsp;Really happy to get him.&nbsp;

SC:&nbsp;As a CEO, how involved are you when it comes to locking on players and staff?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Satish Menon: The maximum work is done by the analysts. We have a good set of analysts who work really hard in shortlisting the names of players.&nbsp;Every area is looked at thoroughly, the traits, qualities, current form, and many such things. We are not that involved in that part but yes, as a CEO my&nbsp;work is to look at what the team management is looking for, what the analysts&nbsp;are working at – this is just for the player shortlisting part before the auction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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SC: BCCI is considering hosting IPL in India with fans. After playing in the UAE, behind closed doors, how big would it be for Punjab Kings and other franchises to host fans again?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Satish Menon: As I said earlier, we&nbsp;can’t complain. If IPL takes place in India and with fans, then we would be more than delighted&nbsp;about it. We missed fans last season but with the safety of everyone the paramount, we want to make sure&nbsp;the tournament is held safely. But if fans are allowed in the&nbsp;stands,&nbsp;then we will make sure that&nbsp;everyone enjoys the games and tournament safely. &nbsp;

The mini-auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which was held in Chennai on February 18, lived up to the expectations of the fans as an action-packed event enthralled the fans with surprises and excitement.

The mini-auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which was held in Chennai on February 18, lived up to the expectations of the fans as an action-packed event enthralled the fans with surprises and excitement. The Punjab franchise went into the mini-auction not only with the biggest purse but with a revamped brand identity as well. A new name and logo to freshen up things as Kings XI Punjab was renamed to Punjab Kings as the franchise commences a new journey in the world of IPL. With a purse of INR 53.1 crore in the auction, Punjab Kings were expected to sign some big-name players and the franchise lived up to the expectations. Not only did Punjab Kings sign the world’s number one T20I player, but they also signed two of the brightest Australian talents when it comes to the shortest format of the game. On top of that, Punjab Kings roped in a couple of domestic talents who are known for their exploits in T20 cricket. As the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League approaches after the completion of mini-auction, Punjab Kings CEO, Satish Menon, exclusively spoke to WION’s Subhayan Chakraborty as he discussed the rebranding of the Punjab franchise, the big-name signings in the auction, growth of Punjab Kings since the inaugural edition of IPL, and much more. Below are the excerpts: Subhayan Chakraborty: What made the franchise go ahead with a new logo and name, and what was the idea behind it? Satish Menon: The new name and logo were in process for some time. It is not something we changed overnight. We felt it was the right time to refresh things up and give fans something new. Initially, our idea was to revamp the Punjab franchise’s branding in 2022 but with new franchises likely to join from next season onwards, we felt this season was the best time to make the most out of it as the new franchises would naturally be promoting themselves when they are launched. We are delighted with the response to the new name and logo from everyone. Punjab Kings is a more evolved brand name along with our new logo. We wanted to focus on the core brand. Having said that, the change in logo and name is not about shifting our focus from our ethos. It is more about celebrating unity as a family. The new logo has modern elements in it. Nave andaaz hor wakhre josh de naal 🎺 swagat karo #PunjabKings da 💥👑🤩#SaddaPunjab pic.twitter.com/IVvmsx56Qb — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 17, 2021 × SC: How do you look at Punjab Kings’ growth as a franchise in the last decade? Satish Menon: It has grown massively. When the IPL was introduced to this country and the cricket community, we were entering unknown territory. India is a cricket crazy nation; people love the sport. As a brand, we have seen tremendous growth in terms of the number of followers not only in India but worldwide. The love and passion for our franchise have just grown despite us not winning silverware, which reflects the loyalty of our fanbase. “I am pretty sure the new name will bring us good fortune this year!” 💥#CaptainPunjab, we are pretty much sure, too! 🥰#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings @klrahul11 pic.twitter.com/edIJyFNmv1 — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 18, 2021 × SC: Punjab Kings have played some good cricket over the years but one thing which is missing is silverware. What do you make of the team's failure to win titles despite trying so many team combinations in the past and now? Satish Menon: Winning and losing are part and parcel of cricket or any other sport. As you said, we have played some good cricket but we have always been looking to improve and take that next step forward. IPL is top quality and there is only one winner. We obviously want to lift the trophy but at the same time, we want our fans and viewers to enjoy good cricket. Punjab as a team has come close to be in the final stages of the tournament or even win the IPL but it is the failure in the last phases that have hurt us as a team. We are confident in our team, players and everyone associated with it and hope to break the deadlock. SC: Punjab Kings made some big-name buys in Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Dawid Malan - How content are you with how the auction went for Punjab? Satish Menon: Really content. We almost got everyone we wanted. In mini-auctions or auctions, there will be cases where you miss a key target or two but in hindsight, we are really happy with the players we bought during the auction. The players we bought have a good blend of youth and experience. The staff and team management are happy with the outcome of the auction. Presenting #SaddaSquad for the season! 🦁👑 Khush ho tussi❓🥰#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #IPLAuction2021 pic.twitter.com/9sxgNsq0zu — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 18, 2021 × SC: How challenging is it to go into the auction without a confirmed venue for the tournament? Satish Menon: It is obviously challenging but we can’t complain in today’s world. We are thankful to be able to get a tournament like IPL going. The BCCI and all the franchises gave their best shot for the last edition amid the pandemic and we all are glad to pull it off. Credit to everyone involved. Coming to the auction, we have built our team keeping every challenge in mind. The players will be ready for it so will be everyone associated with Punjab Kings. SC: What was the thought process behind buying Jhye Richardson for INR 14 crore? Satish Menon: Jhye was always on our list. He is one of the finest components with the ball in white-ball cricket. We stretched ourselves for Chris Morris but Rajasthan Royals got hold of him. Jhye’s ability to bowl at any stage of the match gives us the flexibility we were looking for. And obviously, he is a very handy player with the bat as well. We are really excited to witness Jhye in Punjab Kings jersey in IPL. Say Hi to Jhye! 🙋‍♂️ Who takes wickets for fun, our newly recruited Richardson! 🥰#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/Hi7xpHLp8F — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 19, 2021 × SC: Punjab Kings got Dawid Malan for just INR 1.5 crore. Did you expect him to go for just INR 1.5 crore given he is the no. 1 T20I batsman? Satish Menon: We were actually pretty surprised to get Dawid so early. Maybe the combination of other teams played a role. Sometimes when your name pops up in the auction play a role too. He is a quality player and someone who will give us the quality and solidity in the middle order, which we felt was missing. His numbers speak for himself; he has been a top player when it comes to T20 cricket for a while. We have no doubts about the quality Dawid will bring to Punjab Kings. ✨ 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏 𝐓𝟐𝟎𝐈 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 - 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧✨ Can’t wait to watch him smash them 🔥 biggies this #IPL2021 🍿#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings @dmalan29 pic.twitter.com/BWh4fzeyTl — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 27, 2021 × SC: What are your thoughts on a highly-rated talent in Shahrukh Khan? Satish Menon: Shahrukh Khan is a really exciting talent. A player we had a good look at from domestic tournaments. The way he recently played in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was a glimpse of what he is capable of and we are confident that he is someone who will be there for us for a long. Shahrukh has the ability to finish games and we were looking at someone with similar traits. Really happy to get him. SC: As a CEO, how involved are you when it comes to locking on players and staff? Satish Menon: The maximum work is done by the analysts. We have a good set of analysts who work really hard in shortlisting the names of players. Every area is looked at thoroughly, the traits, qualities, current form, and many such things. We are not that involved in that part but yes, as a CEO my work is to look at what the team management is looking for, what the analysts are working at – this is just for the player shortlisting part before the auction. SC: BCCI is considering hosting IPL in India with fans. After playing in the UAE, behind closed doors, how big would it be for Punjab Kings and other franchises to host fans again? Satish Menon: As I said earlier, we can’t complain. If IPL takes place in India and with fans, then we would be more than delighted about it. We missed fans last season but with the safety of everyone the paramount, we want to make sure the tournament is held safely. But if fans are allowed in the stands, then we will make sure that everyone enjoys the games and tournament safely.

Exclusive: Punjab Kings squad built keeping every challenge in mind: CEO Satish Menon to WION

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for options in venues for hosting the Indian Premier League 2021 as Mumbai being a single host is not workable due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in and around the city.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-virat-kohli-crashes-in-axar-patel-hardik-pandya-interview-366395" hreflang="en">WATCH: Virat Kohli crashes Axar-Hardik's interview; compliments Patel in Gujarati</a>

"There is still a month left for the IPL to start but obviously some decisions need to be taken. It will be risky to have a single city IPL in Mumbai if there is a steady rise in cases that's happening right now," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"So cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata will be ready to host matches. Ahmedabad, in all likelihood, will host the play-off and final match of the IPL," he said.

Earlier, there were discussions that Mumbai would be a good option to create a single bio-secure bubble and hold the eight-week long tournament as the city consists of four stadiums (Wankhede, Brabourne, DY Patil and Reliance Stadium). However, Maharashtra is seeing a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases and recorded over 8,000 of them on Thursday. The city of Mumbai registered over 1,100 cases on the same day.

The latest edition of the Indian Premier League will kick off in the second week of April. Last year, the cash-rich league had to be shifted to UAE due to a coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

(Inputs from PTI)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for options in venues for hosting the Indian Premier League 2021 as Mumbai being a single host is not workable due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in and around the city.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for options in venues for hosting the Indian Premier League 2021 as Mumbai being a single host is not workable due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in and around the city. ALSO READ: WATCH: Virat Kohli crashes Axar-Hardik's interview; compliments Patel in Gujarati "There is still a month left for the IPL to start but obviously some decisions need to be taken. It will be risky to have a single city IPL in Mumbai if there is a steady rise in cases that's happening right now," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. "So cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata will be ready to host matches. Ahmedabad, in all likelihood, will host the play-off and final match of the IPL," he said. Earlier, there were discussions that Mumbai would be a good option to create a single bio-secure bubble and hold the eight-week long tournament as the city consists of four stadiums (Wankhede, Brabourne, DY Patil and Reliance Stadium). However, Maharashtra is seeing a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases and recorded over 8,000 of them on Thursday. The city of Mumbai registered over 1,100 cases on the same day. The latest edition of the Indian Premier League will kick off in the second week of April. Last year, the cash-rich league had to be shifted to UAE due to a coronavirus pandemic. (Inputs from PTI)

BCCI considering 4-5 venues for IPL 2021 after COVID-19 surge in Mumbai

Cricket pundits and fans often talk about players who deserve to play for their country - due to their talent, skills, form and consistency. While there have been several players who may have all the talent in the world but can’t crack it on the big stage, Indian all-rounder Jalaj Saxena has been picking wickets for fun while also contributing with the bat on a consistent note in the domestic circuit but one thing keeps on evading him - the elusive Indian cap.&nbsp;

Jalaj, after finding no bids in IPL 2019 despite impressive numbers in domestic T20 cricket, was signed up by Punjab Kings for his base price of INR 30 lac. However, it is not the first time the veteran all-rounder has been picked by an IPL franchise. He was earlier part of Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals but didn’t make his IPL debut. Interestingly, he is only among three Indian players, who have featured in the now-defunct Champions League T20 but never made their IPL debuts.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Welcoming the veteran 🇮🇳 all-rounder Jalaj Saxena! 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/AvIM3MrA9j">pic.twitter.com/AvIM3MrA9j</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1362404768509960195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Jalaj may think he has been sort of unfortunate when it comes to getting that dream Team India call-up. Among 19 cricketers to have scored more than 6000 runs and picked up more than 300 wickets in the history of First-Class cricket in India, Jalaj Saxena is the only player yet to represent the country.&nbsp;

“I never think about selection. It is not in my hands. Obviously, to do well season after season in domestic cricket is very satisfying but I don’t think about selection as it is not in my hands. And talking about bringing my experience, I would love to do that and hopefully help Punjab win the trophy. They have played good cricket in the past but have missed the final push. Hopefully, I can provide that factor,” Jalaj told WION in an interview.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-auction-complete-list-of-sold-and-unsold-players-364604" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Auction: Complete list of sold and unsold players</a>

A three-time winner of the Lala Amarnath award for the best all-rounder in the country, Jalaj was equally impressive in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he picked up 10 wickets in five matches at an economy of 6.26. 
His performance was rewarded as Punjab Kings waited for his name to come up in the IPL auction and got the paddle up.

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"Hopefully we'll lift the trophy this year!" 😍 
 
Jalaj Saxena aiming for a big one already 🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/DO8iKIzWxM">pic.twitter.com/DO8iKIzWxM</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1362444767498407938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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After coming back to the IPL scene, Jalaj said he is looking forward to training under the likes of Anil Kumble, Wasim Jaffer among other iconic names in the support staff.&nbsp;

“Pretty excited to work under legends like Anil sir and Wasim sir. It is a great opportunity to learn from the greats of the game and I am sure by training under them, my game will only improve. It is a great opportunity to play for Punjab Kings and in the IPL. Hopefully, I would be able to use my skills and help them win matches,” Jalaj said.&nbsp;

Punjab Kings - previously Kings XI Punjab - had a topsy turvy run in IPL 2020 and went on to finish sixth in the table. The final standings may not be reflective of their performance on the field with a couple of Super Overs, umpire calls going against their way in the T20 tournament - which was held in the United Arab Emirates.&nbsp;

The Punjab outfit went with a hefty purse in the auction as they shelled out money for players with good reputation in the shortest format of the game. While the likes of Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Dawid Malan, Shahrukh Khan made the pundits huff and puff, Jalaj’s buy made the Punjab Kings fans happy on social media with the verdict coming that the veteran all-rounder can bring the much-needed balance to the team.

Under KL Rahul’s captaincy, Jalaj hopes to bring that missing X-factor in the team and help the squad break the title jinx in IPL 2021.&nbsp;

<img alt="Jalaj" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d2268ee6-eabd-4806-8793-8daf73d49f9f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/SMAT2021_Match5_Kerala-Vs-Puduchrry_Jalaj-Saxena_bowler-packag3.jpg" />

“I loved the way KL Rahul led the team in IPL 2020. His calm demeanour even under high-pressure situations was a delight to watch. He is one of the leading international batsmen and I am pretty excited to share the dressing room with him. Punjab Kings have a good squad and hopefully, I will be that X-factor and help the team lift the trophy,” said Jalaj.

Can a good outing in IPL 2021 help Jalaj get into the eyes of national selectors?&nbsp;

“I can only perform to the best of my abilities and I believe my performances have been good and consistent over the years. What selectors think is not in my hands so I don’t bother. I can only focus on playing good cricket and trust the process. Having played cricket for so many years, I think to focus on the process is important. Everyone wants to play for the country,” Jalaj signed off.

Cricket pundits and fans often talk about players who deserve to play for their country - due to their talent, skills, form and consistency. While there have been several players who may have all the talent in the world but can’t crack it on the big stage, Indian all-rounder Jalaj Saxena has been picking wickets for fun while also contributing with the bat on a consistent note in the domestic circuit but one thing keeps on evading him - the elusive Indian cap.

Cricket pundits and fans often talk about players who deserve to play for their country - due to their talent, skills, form and consistency. While there have been several players who may have all the talent in the world but can’t crack it on the big stage, Indian all-rounder Jalaj Saxena has been picking wickets for fun while also contributing with the bat on a consistent note in the domestic circuit but one thing keeps on evading him - the elusive Indian cap. Jalaj, after finding no bids in IPL 2019 despite impressive numbers in domestic T20 cricket, was signed up by Punjab Kings for his base price of INR 30 lac. However, it is not the first time the veteran all-rounder has been picked by an IPL franchise. He was earlier part of Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals but didn’t make his IPL debut. Interestingly, he is only among three Indian players, who have featured in the now-defunct Champions League T20 but never made their IPL debuts. Welcoming the veteran 🇮🇳 all-rounder Jalaj Saxena! 💪#SaddaPunjab #IPLAuction2021 #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/AvIM3MrA9j — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 18, 2021 × Jalaj may think he has been sort of unfortunate when it comes to getting that dream Team India call-up. Among 19 cricketers to have scored more than 6000 runs and picked up more than 300 wickets in the history of First-Class cricket in India, Jalaj Saxena is the only player yet to represent the country. “I never think about selection. It is not in my hands. Obviously, to do well season after season in domestic cricket is very satisfying but I don’t think about selection as it is not in my hands. And talking about bringing my experience, I would love to do that and hopefully help Punjab win the trophy. They have played good cricket in the past but have missed the final push. Hopefully, I can provide that factor,” Jalaj told WION in an interview. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Auction: Complete list of sold and unsold players A three-time winner of the Lala Amarnath award for the best all-rounder in the country, Jalaj was equally impressive in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he picked up 10 wickets in five matches at an economy of 6.26. His performance was rewarded as Punjab Kings waited for his name to come up in the IPL auction and got the paddle up. "Hopefully we'll lift the trophy this year!" 😍 Jalaj Saxena aiming for a big one already 🏆#SaddaPunjab #IPLAuction2021 #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/DO8iKIzWxM — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 18, 2021 × After coming back to the IPL scene, Jalaj said he is looking forward to training under the likes of Anil Kumble, Wasim Jaffer among other iconic names in the support staff. “Pretty excited to work under legends like Anil sir and Wasim sir. It is a great opportunity to learn from the greats of the game and I am sure by training under them, my game will only improve. It is a great opportunity to play for Punjab Kings and in the IPL. Hopefully, I would be able to use my skills and help them win matches,” Jalaj said. Punjab Kings - previously Kings XI Punjab - had a topsy turvy run in IPL 2020 and went on to finish sixth in the table. The final standings may not be reflective of their performance on the field with a couple of Super Overs, umpire calls going against their way in the T20 tournament - which was held in the United Arab Emirates. The Punjab outfit went with a hefty purse in the auction as they shelled out money for players with good reputation in the shortest format of the game. While the likes of Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Dawid Malan, Shahrukh Khan made the pundits huff and puff, Jalaj’s buy made the Punjab Kings fans happy on social media with the verdict coming that the veteran all-rounder can bring the much-needed balance to the team. Under KL Rahul’s captaincy, Jalaj hopes to bring that missing X-factor in the team and help the squad break the title jinx in IPL 2021. “I loved the way KL Rahul led the team in IPL 2020. His calm demeanour even under high-pressure situations was a delight to watch. He is one of the leading international batsmen and I am pretty excited to share the dressing room with him. Punjab Kings have a good squad and hopefully, I will be that X-factor and help the team lift the trophy,” said Jalaj. Can a good outing in IPL 2021 help Jalaj get into the eyes of national selectors? “I can only perform to the best of my abilities and I believe my performances have been good and consistent over the years. What selectors think is not in my hands so I don’t bother. I can only focus on playing good cricket and trust the process. Having played cricket for so many years, I think to focus on the process is important. Everyone wants to play for the country,” Jalaj signed off.

KL Rahul has calm demeanor as captain, excited to play for Punjab Kings: Jalaj Saxena

Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Saturday said that the pitch for the second Test played against England in Chennai was not "dangerous" at all while adding it&nbsp;players find it difficult to score runs when the ball spins. Pujara was even asked about the IPL 2021 auction, where he was signed by Chennai Super Kings.

India defeated England by 317 runs in the second Test in Chennai to level the series 1-1. Now the focus shifts to Ahmedabad, where the last two Tests of the series will be played at the world's largest stadium –&nbsp;Motera.&nbsp;

While there are still a few days to go before one could&nbsp;analyse&nbsp;the pitch in Ahmedabad, former players like Michael Vaughan and Mark Waugh termed the Chennai pitch as poor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Sometimes you know when you are playing on a turning track, you find it difficult but at the same time, it was not a dangerous pitch at all. When the ball spins you know people find it difficult to score runs, especially the overseas teams. When we go overseas and we play on seaming tracks, the game finishes in three or four days. We still have to play on such wickets where there is a lot of grass or seam movement,"&nbsp;Pujara told&nbsp;a virtual press conference on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/whopping-inr-6144-crore-in-14-years-of-ipl-auction-salary-money-spent-across-cricketers-globally-365017" hreflang="en">Whopping INR 6144 crore in 14 years of IPL: Auction, salary money spent across cricketers globally</a>

"In turning tracks, one cannot define how much the ball can spin. It is a very thin line in that way. I do not think it was a bad pitch, it always becomes difficult in the second innings, this is how it is. When we play in Australia, there are cracks on day four and five, it is a little dangerous, the oddball hits the crack and it might take off. As a team I do not think we had any issues, once opposition teams start playing more on these pitches, they will be fine," he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pujara was recently signed up by Chennai Super Kings for the 14th&nbsp;edition of the Indian Premier League for his base price. However, Pujara was all set to play County cricket in a bid to prepare for India's tour of England later this year. Now, with both IPL and County season clashing, Pujara&nbsp;said that he always wanted to play the shorter format of the game and will take a call on County cricket once the IPL gets over as he will have a small window to play some matches in England after the end of the cash-rich tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"First of all, I am really glad to be a part of the IPL, it is good to be back again. I would like to thank the CSK team for picking me, but at the same time, when I am talking about county cricket, I still think I will have enough time before we play England in England. Once IPL gets over, there will be a window for me to play county games. That call I will take once IPL gets over. There will be enough time to play some county games. We also have a couple of practice games in England once the Test series begins there," said Pujara.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/proud-of-your-success-sachin-tendulkar-reacts-after-virat-kohli-opens-up-about-battle-with-depression-365026" hreflang="en">Proud of your success: Sachin Tendulkar reacts after Virat Kohli opens up about battle with depression</a>

"There is plenty of time to play county cricket but it is good to be back in the IPL. You know, I always want to play the short format of the game, IPL has produced so many great cricketers, some young talent we have got through the IPL, it has helped the Indian team. My focus once this Test series gets over will be on the IPL and once IPL gets over, I will think about county games and then there is a big series coming up against England. I am very hopeful that we will play the World Test Championship final as well which is in June," he added.&nbsp;

Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Saturday said that the pitch for the second Test played against England in Chennai was not "dangerous" at all while adding it players find it difficult to score runs when the ball spins.

Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Saturday said that the pitch for the second Test played against England in Chennai was not "dangerous" at all while adding it players find it difficult to score runs when the ball spins. Pujara was even asked about the IPL 2021 auction, where he was signed by Chennai Super Kings. India defeated England by 317 runs in the second Test in Chennai to level the series 1-1. Now the focus shifts to Ahmedabad, where the last two Tests of the series will be played at the world's largest stadium – Motera. While there are still a few days to go before one could analyse the pitch in Ahmedabad, former players like Michael Vaughan and Mark Waugh termed the Chennai pitch as poor. "Sometimes you know when you are playing on a turning track, you find it difficult but at the same time, it was not a dangerous pitch at all. When the ball spins you know people find it difficult to score runs, especially the overseas teams. When we go overseas and we play on seaming tracks, the game finishes in three or four days. We still have to play on such wickets where there is a lot of grass or seam movement," Pujara told a virtual press conference on Saturday. ALSO READ: Whopping INR 6144 crore in 14 years of IPL: Auction, salary money spent across cricketers globally "In turning tracks, one cannot define how much the ball can spin. It is a very thin line in that way. I do not think it was a bad pitch, it always becomes difficult in the second innings, this is how it is. When we play in Australia, there are cracks on day four and five, it is a little dangerous, the oddball hits the crack and it might take off. As a team I do not think we had any issues, once opposition teams start playing more on these pitches, they will be fine," he added. Pujara was recently signed up by Chennai Super Kings for the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League for his base price. However, Pujara was all set to play County cricket in a bid to prepare for India's tour of England later this year. Now, with both IPL and County season clashing, Pujara said that he always wanted to play the shorter format of the game and will take a call on County cricket once the IPL gets over as he will have a small window to play some matches in England after the end of the cash-rich tournament. "First of all, I am really glad to be a part of the IPL, it is good to be back again. I would like to thank the CSK team for picking me, but at the same time, when I am talking about county cricket, I still think I will have enough time before we play England in England. Once IPL gets over, there will be a window for me to play county games. That call I will take once IPL gets over. There will be enough time to play some county games. We also have a couple of practice games in England once the Test series begins there," said Pujara. ALSO READ: Proud of your success: Sachin Tendulkar reacts after Virat Kohli opens up about battle with depression "There is plenty of time to play county cricket but it is good to be back in the IPL. You know, I always want to play the short format of the game, IPL has produced so many great cricketers, some young talent we have got through the IPL, it has helped the Indian team. My focus once this Test series gets over will be on the IPL and once IPL gets over, I will think about county games and then there is a big series coming up against England. I am very hopeful that we will play the World Test Championship final as well which is in June," he added.

Will take a call on county stint after IPL, says CSK's latest recruit Cheteshwar Pujara

As the much-anticipated Indian Premier League auction took place in Chennai on 18th&nbsp;February 2021, Delhi Capitals went all out to ensure their fans felt like an integral part of the crucial evening for the team.

Continuing with last season’s initiatives to involve fans directly, the team launched an array of innovative engagement initiatives, taking another decisive step towards further cementing a loyal fandom for the Delhi-based franchise.

In the build-up to the auction,&nbsp;community polls&nbsp;were hosted on social media and in-person vox populi was conducted with fans at different locations in the city to get their opinion on preferred picks for the auction. The team’s official fan club, the&nbsp;DC Toli, also shared a customised digital filter to enable fans to send in digital vox populi.

The team’s buys reflected popular fan choice as Steve Smith and Umesh Yadav had emerged as the most wanted batsman and bowler, respectively.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-auction-2021-complete-players-list-of-all-eight-squads-364617" hreflang="en">IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads</a>

On the day of the auction, the team organised a live, virtual “DC Watch Party” hosted by renowned RJ Rahul Makin from Fever 104 FM. The party gave fans an auction experience like never-before, with real-time discussions with fellow fans, welcoming new players, celebrating the team of 2021 as well as technical discussions utilizing stat screens, recent performances, and insightful analyses. The various fans that participated in the live watch party included international fans from countries like Canada and Scotland, budding school and college-level cricketers from the city, influencers like Sam Kachru and Gaurav Sethi, as well fans from other IPL teams who were invited as special guests for an exchange of views.

The lucky fans also got a surprise visit from DC spinner Amit Mishra, who candidly answered their questions and joined them in cheering on the franchise at the auction.

Hosted live across Facebook, Youtube and Delhi Capitals’ website, the Watch Party garnered more than 1.8 lakh views.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-auction-highlights-from-chris-morris-to-glenn-maxwell-all-the-details-from-mini-auction-364497" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Auction, Highlights: From Chris Morris to Glenn Maxwell - all the details from mini-auction</a>

Another social media initiative that caught the fans’ eyes, was Delhi Capitals own version of Dude with The Sign – “DC Fan with A Sign”. Dressed in the team jersey, the fan travelled to various iconic locations across the city and held placards featuring tongue-in-cheek messaging reflecting real-time updates from the auction, be it poking fun at the intense bidding wars or hailing the new additions to the team.

The “DC Reporter” series, which enables young and energetic fans from across the city to create content by the fans and for the fans, also released 5 special episodes covering all aspects of the auction such as fan reviews, welcoming new players and interviewing DC academy players.

Along with various micro-engagement activities, these initiatives further cement Delhi Capitals’ commitment towards bringing the fans closer to the team as they gear up to clinch their elusive first IPL crown.

<h2>DELHI CAPITALS, IPL 2021 SQUAD:</h2>

Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk),&nbsp;Shimron&nbsp;Hetmyer, Marcus&nbsp;Stoinis, Chris&nbsp;Woakes, R Ashwin,&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso&nbsp;Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman&nbsp;Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings&nbsp;

As the much-anticipated Indian Premier League auction took place in Chennai on 18th February 2021, Delhi Capitals went all out to ensure their fans felt like an integral part of the crucial evening for the team.

As the much-anticipated Indian Premier League auction took place in Chennai on 18th February 2021, Delhi Capitals went all out to ensure their fans felt like an integral part of the crucial evening for the team. Continuing with last season’s initiatives to involve fans directly, the team launched an array of innovative engagement initiatives, taking another decisive step towards further cementing a loyal fandom for the Delhi-based franchise. In the build-up to the auction, community polls were hosted on social media and in-person vox populi was conducted with fans at different locations in the city to get their opinion on preferred picks for the auction. The team’s official fan club, the DC Toli, also shared a customised digital filter to enable fans to send in digital vox populi. The team’s buys reflected popular fan choice as Steve Smith and Umesh Yadav had emerged as the most wanted batsman and bowler, respectively. ALSO READ: IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads On the day of the auction, the team organised a live, virtual “DC Watch Party” hosted by renowned RJ Rahul Makin from Fever 104 FM. The party gave fans an auction experience like never-before, with real-time discussions with fellow fans, welcoming new players, celebrating the team of 2021 as well as technical discussions utilizing stat screens, recent performances, and insightful analyses. The various fans that participated in the live watch party included international fans from countries like Canada and Scotland, budding school and college-level cricketers from the city, influencers like Sam Kachru and Gaurav Sethi, as well fans from other IPL teams who were invited as special guests for an exchange of views. The lucky fans also got a surprise visit from DC spinner Amit Mishra, who candidly answered their questions and joined them in cheering on the franchise at the auction. Hosted live across Facebook, Youtube and Delhi Capitals’ website, the Watch Party garnered more than 1.8 lakh views. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Auction, Highlights: From Chris Morris to Glenn Maxwell - all the details from mini-auction Another social media initiative that caught the fans’ eyes, was Delhi Capitals own version of Dude with The Sign – “DC Fan with A Sign”. Dressed in the team jersey, the fan travelled to various iconic locations across the city and held placards featuring tongue-in-cheek messaging reflecting real-time updates from the auction, be it poking fun at the intense bidding wars or hailing the new additions to the team. The “DC Reporter” series, which enables young and energetic fans from across the city to create content by the fans and for the fans, also released 5 special episodes covering all aspects of the auction such as fan reviews, welcoming new players and interviewing DC academy players. Along with various micro-engagement activities, these initiatives further cement Delhi Capitals’ commitment towards bringing the fans closer to the team as they gear up to clinch their elusive first IPL crown. DELHI CAPITALS, IPL 2021 SQUAD: Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Delhi Capitals’ fans take centre-stage at IPL auction 2021

The Indian Premier League (IPL), hailed as the best T20 tournament in the world, on Thursday surpassed the INR 6000 crore mark of spending in auctions and salaries&nbsp;following the completion of mini-auction ahead of IPL 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the IPL auction 2021, franchises spent heavily in a bid to bolster their respective squads as the likes of&nbsp;Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals&nbsp;signed up as many as 57 players.&nbsp;

According to a report in&nbsp;Insidesport, the IPL franchises have now spent a total of INR 6144 crore across 14 seasons with the 2021 auction seeing the amount locked at INR 145.30 crore. Since IPL started in 2008, a total of 789 players have seen their lives changed having earned lucrative IPL contracts.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-auction-2021-complete-players-list-of-all-eight-squads-364617" hreflang="en">IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads</a>

While naturally, Indian players have earned the majority of the chunk from IPL auctions, Australian and South African players follow them with the likes of West Indies, England and New Zealand players next in the list.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-yuvraj-singh-to-chris-morris-most-expensive-buys-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions</a>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ff839fe7-07c8-4301-8418-6cca28b1ec04}{255}" paraid="2091365710" >Let us take a look at how the distribution of IPL auction and salary&nbsp;money across players from different countries have happened over the years:&nbsp;</h2>

India: Indian domestic players have earned a staggering INR 3433 crore from 14 IPL seasons.&nbsp;

Australia: With 94 Aussie cricketers having played in IPL in 14 years, they have bagged INR 905.9 crore.&nbsp;

South Africa: The players from the rainbow nation are third on the list. As many as 56 Proteas players have participated in IPL while earning INR 539 crore from the cash-rich tournament.&nbsp;

West Indies: The&nbsp;Windies&nbsp;players have earned INR 458 crore with a total of 33 West Indies players having played in the IPL in 14 seasons.&nbsp;

England: A total of 33 English players have participated in the IPL while earning a mammoth INR 285.96 crore.&nbsp;

New Zealand: A total of 31 players from New Zealand have played in IPL, earning INR 211.6 crore.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka: Despite no players participating in IPL 2021, the Islanders have earned INR 195.93 after participation of 27 players in the tournament over the years.&nbsp;

Afghanistan: Only four Afghani players have played in IPL thus far having earned INR 58.4 crore.&nbsp;

Bangladesh: Only six Bangladesh players have participated in IPL in 14 editions with their earning standing at INR 34.78 crore.&nbsp;

Pakistan: While Pakistan players were only allowed in the IPL during the initial phase of the tournament, a total of 11 players played in the tournament, earning INR 12.84 crore.&nbsp;

Netherlands: Only two players have made the cut from the Netherlands in IPL while&nbsp;earning INR 5.27 crore.&nbsp;

Zimbabwe:&nbsp;Just three players have played in IPL from Zimbabwe, earning INR 1 crore.&nbsp;

The Indian Premier League (IPL), hailed as the best T20 tournament in the world, on Thursday surpassed the INR 6000 crore mark of spending in auctions and salaries following the completion of mini-auction ahead of IPL 2021.

The Indian Premier League (IPL), hailed as the best T20 tournament in the world, on Thursday surpassed the INR 6000 crore mark of spending in auctions and salaries following the completion of mini-auction ahead of IPL 2021. At the IPL auction 2021, franchises spent heavily in a bid to bolster their respective squads as the likes of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals signed up as many as 57 players. According to a report in Insidesport, the IPL franchises have now spent a total of INR 6144 crore across 14 seasons with the 2021 auction seeing the amount locked at INR 145.30 crore. Since IPL started in 2008, a total of 789 players have seen their lives changed having earned lucrative IPL contracts. ALSO READ: IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads While naturally, Indian players have earned the majority of the chunk from IPL auctions, Australian and South African players follow them with the likes of West Indies, England and New Zealand players next in the list. ALSO READ: From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions Let us take a look at how the distribution of IPL auction and salary money across players from different countries have happened over the years: India: Indian domestic players have earned a staggering INR 3433 crore from 14 IPL seasons. Australia: With 94 Aussie cricketers having played in IPL in 14 years, they have bagged INR 905.9 crore. South Africa: The players from the rainbow nation are third on the list. As many as 56 Proteas players have participated in IPL while earning INR 539 crore from the cash-rich tournament. West Indies: The Windies players have earned INR 458 crore with a total of 33 West Indies players having played in the IPL in 14 seasons. England: A total of 33 English players have participated in the IPL while earning a mammoth INR 285.96 crore. New Zealand: A total of 31 players from New Zealand have played in IPL, earning INR 211.6 crore. Sri Lanka: Despite no players participating in IPL 2021, the Islanders have earned INR 195.93 after participation of 27 players in the tournament over the years. Afghanistan: Only four Afghani players have played in IPL thus far having earned INR 58.4 crore. Bangladesh: Only six Bangladesh players have participated in IPL in 14 editions with their earning standing at INR 34.78 crore. Pakistan: While Pakistan players were only allowed in the IPL during the initial phase of the tournament, a total of 11 players played in the tournament, earning INR 12.84 crore. Netherlands: Only two players have made the cut from the Netherlands in IPL while earning INR 5.27 crore. Zimbabwe: Just three players have played in IPL from Zimbabwe, earning INR 1 crore.

Whopping INR 6144 crore in 14 years of IPL: Auction, salary money spent across cricketers globally

Rajasthan Royals wrapped up the signing of left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya for a whopping INR 1.20 crore during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction. While Chetan Sakariya admits&nbsp;his life will change after the auction, he has an empty space in his heart after losing his younger brother last month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chetan's younger brother had committed suicide in January. While RR's latest recruit said the absence of his younger brother still haunts him, he said his brother would have been&nbsp;happier&nbsp;than him after being guaranteed a part of IPL 2021 for Rajasthan Royals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“My younger brother committed suicide in January. I wasn’t at&nbsp;home,&nbsp;I was playing Syed Mushtaq Ali at that time. I didn’t know he had passed away until I returned home. Even then, my family didn’t share the news with me. I used to ask them about Rahul’s whereabouts and they would tell me 'he has gone out’.&nbsp;Sometimes,&nbsp;they would say he had ventured out to buy groceries. This absence is a big void for me. Had he been here today he would have been&nbsp;more happy&nbsp;than me,”&nbsp;Chetan Sakariya, the 28-year-old left-arm pacer from&nbsp;Saurashtra, told the Indian Express.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-yuvraj-singh-to-chris-morris-most-expensive-buys-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions</a>

Chetan's father Kanjibhai was driving a tempo to keep up with daily life until two years ago. However, his father&nbsp;never wanted him to play cricket until his uncle came in between.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I never wanted him to work, I told him, I will take care of my family. People are asking me, what I will do with so much money, I said, let the money come first. I always wanted to shift to Rajkot,&nbsp;somehow,&nbsp;I didn’t have decent money to buy a good house. Now, the first thing I will do is buy a house in a good locality,” he said.&nbsp;

Sakariya was with Royal Challengers Bangalore as a net bowler in IPL 2020. While RCB went hard for the left-arm pacer, it was Rajasthan Royals who signed him up after an intense bidding battle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/zaheer-khan-mahela-jayawardene-open-up-on-mumbai-indians-signing-arjun-tendulkar-364740" hreflang="en">Zaheer Khan, Mahela Jayawardene open up on Mumbai Indians signing Arjun Tendulkar</a>

“I was hoping that this time I will be there because when I went as a net bowler for RCB during IPL in UAE, RCB coach Mike Hesson and Simon Katich had told me that I have ticked all boxes to be part of any IPL team. RCB did try for me but getting picked for any team makes me happy,” Sakariya said.&nbsp;

Sakariya was vital to&nbsp;Saurasthra's&nbsp;maiden Ranji Trophy triumph last year when they defeated Bengal in the summit clash. After playing 15 First-Class and 16 T20 matches, Sakariya will now&nbsp;look to impress the cricketing world in IPL 2021.&nbsp;

Rajasthan Royals wrapped up the signing of left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya for a whopping INR 1.20 crore during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction.

Rajasthan Royals wrapped up the signing of left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya for a whopping INR 1.20 crore during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction. While Chetan Sakariya admits his life will change after the auction, he has an empty space in his heart after losing his younger brother last month. Chetan's younger brother had committed suicide in January. While RR's latest recruit said the absence of his younger brother still haunts him, he said his brother would have been happier than him after being guaranteed a part of IPL 2021 for Rajasthan Royals. “My younger brother committed suicide in January. I wasn’t at home, I was playing Syed Mushtaq Ali at that time. I didn’t know he had passed away until I returned home. Even then, my family didn’t share the news with me. I used to ask them about Rahul’s whereabouts and they would tell me 'he has gone out’. Sometimes, they would say he had ventured out to buy groceries. This absence is a big void for me. Had he been here today he would have been more happy than me,” Chetan Sakariya, the 28-year-old left-arm pacer from Saurashtra, told the Indian Express. ALSO READ: From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions Chetan's father Kanjibhai was driving a tempo to keep up with daily life until two years ago. However, his father never wanted him to play cricket until his uncle came in between. “I never wanted him to work, I told him, I will take care of my family. People are asking me, what I will do with so much money, I said, let the money come first. I always wanted to shift to Rajkot, somehow, I didn’t have decent money to buy a good house. Now, the first thing I will do is buy a house in a good locality,” he said. Sakariya was with Royal Challengers Bangalore as a net bowler in IPL 2020. While RCB went hard for the left-arm pacer, it was Rajasthan Royals who signed him up after an intense bidding battle. ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan, Mahela Jayawardene open up on Mumbai Indians signing Arjun Tendulkar “I was hoping that this time I will be there because when I went as a net bowler for RCB during IPL in UAE, RCB coach Mike Hesson and Simon Katich had told me that I have ticked all boxes to be part of any IPL team. RCB did try for me but getting picked for any team makes me happy,” Sakariya said. Sakariya was vital to Saurasthra's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph last year when they defeated Bengal in the summit clash. After playing 15 First-Class and 16 T20 matches, Sakariya will now look to impress the cricketing world in IPL 2021.

Tempo driver's son Chetan Sakariya mourns brother's loss after landing INR 1.20 crore IPL deal

The last name at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction was of young all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, son of legendary&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;Tendulkar. As the name of the 21-year-old popped up, Mumbai Indians held their paddle up to sign the youngster for&nbsp;the base price of INR 20 lakh.&nbsp;Mumbai Indians’ Zaheer Khan and Mahela&nbsp;Jayawardene&nbsp;expressed their opinion on the young Arjun Tendulkar after the southpaw was roped in by MI for IPL 2021.&nbsp;

While social media came up with all sorts of theories, many missed the fact that Arjun has been part of the Mumbai Indians set-up for a couple of years as a support bowler and recently made the cut in the Mumbai state team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he made two appearances.&nbsp;

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"I would like to thank the coaches, owners and the support staff for showing faith in me." 🙌💙 
 
Arjun Tendulkar shares his thoughts on joining MI 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiIndians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiIndians</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/fEbF6Q1yUF">pic.twitter.com/fEbF6Q1yUF</a>
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/1362444650653511686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"I have spent lots of time with him in the nets, trying to teach&nbsp;him a few tricks of the trade. He is a&nbsp;hard-working&nbsp;kid and he is keen on learning. That's the exciting part. The added pressure of the name&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;Tendulkar is always going to be there with him, something he will have to live by. But the environment&nbsp;we have around the team is certainly going to help him become a better cricketer with the likes of Shane Bond and Mahela around. I wish him the best,” Zaheer Khan told a press conference following the IPL 2021 auction.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-yuvraj-singh-to-chris-morris-most-expensive-buys-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions</a>

"We are looking at things under a very simple&nbsp;lense. He is just a youngster coming into the side. But he has to prove himself, has to show the coaching staff and the think tank of the team that he has got the goods to belong there.&nbsp;So&nbsp;what he does at the highest level in&nbsp;his hands,"&nbsp;Zaheer added.&nbsp;

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"It's very important that his process and his progression happens as any other young cricketer." 
 
Akash Ambani shares his thoughts on signing Arjun Tendulkar 🎙️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiIndians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiIndians</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/qUy5lqDcKz">pic.twitter.com/qUy5lqDcKz</a>
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/1362463020408922115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Whereas former Sri Lanka captain and MI head coach Mahela&nbsp;Jayawardene&nbsp;said that Arjun has great potential and the franchise wanted to invest in that.&nbsp;Jayawardene&nbsp;further said that it would be exciting for&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;Tendulkar to see his son in the Mumbai Indians jersey.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-auction-2021-complete-players-list-of-all-eight-squads-364617" hreflang="en">IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads</a>

MI head coach Mahela&nbsp;Jayawardene&nbsp;said that the MI management saw potential in Arjun - who had been bowling to the MI batsmen in the nets and was rewarded for his hard work. Mahela went on to add that it would be a proud moment for&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;to see Arjun wearing MI jersey.&nbsp;

"He has worked hard for a couple of years now, coming to the nets and bowling to the guys, he especially worked very hard in UAE with us. Not only Arjun, but we also picked Yudhvir as well who was one of our bowlers who came to the nets.&nbsp;Whenever we see guys are working hard, we try and invest in that. It's great to have Arjun and it would exciting times for&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;as well to see Arjun wearing the Mumbai T-shirt and be a part of the squad," said Mahela.&nbsp;

The last name at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction was of young all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, son of legendary Sachin Tendulkar. As the name of the 21-year-old popped up, Mumbai Indians held their paddle up to sign the youngster for the base price of INR 20 lakh.

The last name at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction was of young all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, son of legendary Sachin Tendulkar. As the name of the 21-year-old popped up, Mumbai Indians held their paddle up to sign the youngster for the base price of INR 20 lakh. Mumbai Indians’ Zaheer Khan and Mahela Jayawardene expressed their opinion on the young Arjun Tendulkar after the southpaw was roped in by MI for IPL 2021. While social media came up with all sorts of theories, many missed the fact that Arjun has been part of the Mumbai Indians set-up for a couple of years as a support bowler and recently made the cut in the Mumbai state team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he made two appearances. "I would like to thank the coaches, owners and the support staff for showing faith in me." 🙌💙 Arjun Tendulkar shares his thoughts on joining MI 👇#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/fEbF6Q1yUF — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2021 × "I have spent lots of time with him in the nets, trying to teach him a few tricks of the trade. He is a hard-working kid and he is keen on learning. That's the exciting part. The added pressure of the name Sachin Tendulkar is always going to be there with him, something he will have to live by. But the environment we have around the team is certainly going to help him become a better cricketer with the likes of Shane Bond and Mahela around. I wish him the best,” Zaheer Khan told a press conference following the IPL 2021 auction. ALSO READ: From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions "We are looking at things under a very simple lense. He is just a youngster coming into the side. But he has to prove himself, has to show the coaching staff and the think tank of the team that he has got the goods to belong there. So what he does at the highest level in his hands," Zaheer added. "It's very important that his process and his progression happens as any other young cricketer." Akash Ambani shares his thoughts on signing Arjun Tendulkar 🎙️#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/qUy5lqDcKz — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2021 × Whereas former Sri Lanka captain and MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said that Arjun has great potential and the franchise wanted to invest in that. Jayawardene further said that it would be exciting for Sachin Tendulkar to see his son in the Mumbai Indians jersey. ALSO READ: IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said that the MI management saw potential in Arjun - who had been bowling to the MI batsmen in the nets and was rewarded for his hard work. Mahela went on to add that it would be a proud moment for Sachin to see Arjun wearing MI jersey. "He has worked hard for a couple of years now, coming to the nets and bowling to the guys, he especially worked very hard in UAE with us. Not only Arjun, but we also picked Yudhvir as well who was one of our bowlers who came to the nets. Whenever we see guys are working hard, we try and invest in that. It's great to have Arjun and it would exciting times for Sachin as well to see Arjun wearing the Mumbai T-shirt and be a part of the squad," said Mahela.

Zaheer Khan, Mahela Jayawardene open up on Mumbai Indians signing Arjun Tendulkar

From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to Chris Morris: Most expensive buys in every IPL auctions

As many as 130 players, out of 298,&nbsp;went under the hammer&nbsp;in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction, which was held in Chennai on Thursday. While South African all-rounder Chris Morris shattered the record of being the most expensive player in an IPL auction, the likes of&nbsp;Jhye&nbsp;Richardson,&nbsp;Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson&nbsp;Krishnappa&nbsp;Gowtham&nbsp;lit the stage up as franchises got involved in intense bidding wars in a bid to bolster their&nbsp;squads ahead of IPL 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After the end of mini-auction for IPL 2021, let us take a look at the&nbsp;full&nbsp;list of&nbsp;sold and unsold players:&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-auction-2021-complete-players-list-of-all-eight-squads-364617" hreflang="en">IPL Auction 2021: Franchise wise complete players list of all eight squads</a>

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shahrukh-khan-and-arjun-tendulkar-all-that-turned-ipl-auction-into-a-memefest-364608" hreflang="en">Shahrukh Khan and Arjun Tendulkar: All that turned IPL auction into a memefest</a>

<h2>Here is the full list of players at IPL Auction 2021:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Karun Nair - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹50 lakh</li>
	<li>Alex Hales - Unsold</li>
	<li>Jason Roy - Unsold</li>
	<li>Steve Smith - Delhi Capitals - ₹2.2 Crore</li>
	<li>Evin Lewis - Unsold</li>
	<li>Aaron Finch - Unsold</li>
	<li>Hanuma Vihari - Unsold</li>
	<li>Glenn Maxwell - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹14.25 crore</li>
	<li>Kedar Jadhav - Sunrisers Hyderabad - ₹2 crore</li>
	<li>Shakib Al Hasan - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹3.2 Crore</li>
	<li>Moeen Ali - Chennai Super Kings - ₹7 crore</li>
	<li>Shivam Dube - Rajasthan Royals - ₹4.4 crore</li>
	<li>Chris Morris - Rajasthan Royals - ₹16.25 crore</li>
	<li>Dawid Malan - Punjab Kings - ₹1.5 crore</li>
	<li>Glenn Phillips - Unsold</li>
	<li>Alex Carey - Unsold</li>
	<li>Sam Billings - Delhi Capitals - ₹2 crore</li>
	<li>Kusal Perera - Unsold</li>
	<li>Adam Milne - Mumbai Indians - ₹3.2 crore</li>
	<li>Mustafizur Rahman - Rajasthan Royals - ₹1 crore</li>
	<li>Jhye Richardson - Punjab Kings - ₹14 crore</li>
	<li>Nathan Coulter-Nile - Mumbai Indians - ₹5 crore</li>
	<li>Sheldon Cotrell - Unsold</li>
	<li>Umesh Yadav - Delhi Capitals - ₹1 crore</li>
	<li>Adil Rashid - Unsold</li>
	<li>Rahul Sharma - Unsold</li>
	<li>Mujeeb Ur Rahman - Sunrisers Hyderabad - ₹1.5 crore</li>
	<li>Harbhajan Singh - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹2 crore</li>
	<li>Ish Sodhi - Unsold</li>
	<li>Piyush Chawla - Mumbai Indians - ₹2.4 crore</li>
	<li>Qais Ahmad - Unsold</li>
	<li>Himanshu Rana - Unsold</li>
	<li>C Hari Nishaanth - Unsold</li>
	<li>Sachin Baby - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Rahul Gahlaut - Unsold</li>
	<li>Rajat Patidar - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Himmat Singh - Unsold</li>
	<li>Vishnu Solanki - Unsold</li>
	<li>Atit Sheth - Unsold</li>
	<li>Ripal Patel - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Shahrukh Khan - Punjab Kings - ₹5.25 crore</li>
	<li>Ayush Badoni - Unsold</li>
	<li>Venkatesh Iyer - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Vivek Singh - Unsold</li>
	<li>K Gowtham - Chennai Super Kings - ₹9.25 crore</li>
	<li>Vishnu Vinod - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Sheldon Jackson - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Kedar Devdhar - Unsold</li>
	<li>Mohammed Azharuddeen - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Avi Barot - Unsold</li>
	<li>Mujtaba Yousuf - Unsold</li>
	<li>&nbsp;Ankit Rajpoot - Unsold</li>
	<li>Lukman Meriwala - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Chetan Sakariya - Rajasthan Royals - ₹1.2 crore</li>
	<li>Kuldeep Sen - Unsold</li>
	<li>Riley Meredith - Punjab Kings - ₹8 crore</li>
	<li>Tushar Deshpande - Unsold</li>
	<li>M Siddharth - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Karanveer Singh - Unsold</li>
	<li>Jagadeesha Suchith - Sunrisers Hyderabad - ₹30 lakh</li>
	<li>KC Cariappa - Rajasthan Royals - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Sandeep Lamichhane - Unsold</li>
	<li>Midhun Sudhesan - Unsold</li>
	<li>Tejas Baroka - Unsold</li>
	<li>Rovman Powell - Unsold</li>
	<li>Shaun Marsh - Unsold</li>
	<li>Corey Anderson - Unsold</li>
	<li>Devon Conway - Unsold</li>
	<li>Darren Bravo - Unsold</li>
	<li>Rassie van der Dussen - Unsold</li>
	<li>Cheteshwar Pujara - Chennai Super Kings - ₹50 lakh</li>
	<li>Martin Guptill - Unsold</li>
	<li>Pawan Negi - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹50 lakh</li>
	<li>Kyle Jamieson - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹15 crore</li>
	<li>Ben Cutting - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹75 lakh</li>
	<li>Tom Curran - Delhi Capitals - ₹5.25 crore</li>
	<li>Gurkeerat Singh - Unsold</li>
	<li>Marnus Labuschagne - Unsold</li>
	<li>Moises Henriques - Punjab Kings - ₹4.2 crore</li>
	<li>Varun Aaron - Unsold</li>
	<li>Oshane Thomas - Unsold</li>
	<li>Mohit Sharma - Unsold</li>
	<li>Billy Stanlake - Unsold</li>
	<li>Mitchell McClenaghan - Unsold</li>
	<li>Jason Behrendorff - Unsold</li>
	<li>Naveen Ul Haq - Unsold</li>
	<li>Karan Sharma - Unsold</li>
	<li>Utkarsh Singh - Punjab Kings - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>KL Shrijith - Unsold</li>
	<li>Jalaj Saxena - Punjab Kings - ₹30 lakh</li>
	<li>Vaibhav Arora - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Ben Dwarshuis - Unsold</li>
	<li>G Periyasamy - Unsold</li>
	<li>Fabian Allen - Punjab Kings - ₹75 lakh</li>
	<li>Daniel Christian - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹4.8 crore</li>
	<li>Liam Livingstone - Rajasthan Royals - ₹75 lakh</li>
	<li>Thisara Perera - Unsold</li>
	<li>Ben McDermott - Unsold</li>
	<li>Matthew Wade - Unsold</li>
	<li>Sean Abbott - Unsold</li>
	<li>Siddhesh Lad - Unsold</li>
	<li>Tejinder Dhillon - Unsold</li>
	<li>Prerak Mankad - Unsold</li>
	<li>Suyash Prabhudessai - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>KS Bharat - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Josh Inglis - Unsold</li>
	<li>M Harisankar Reddy - Chennai Super Kings - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Simarjeet Singh - Unsold</li>
	<li>Kuldip Yadav - Rajasthan Royals - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Scott Kuggeleijn - Unsold</li>
	<li>James Neesham - Mumbai Indians - ₹50 lakh</li>
	<li>Wayne Parnell - Unsold</li>
	<li>Reece Topley - Unsold</li>
	<li>Chris Green - Unsold</li>
	<li>Isuru Udana - Unsold</li>
	<li>George Linde - Unsold</li>
	<li>Chaitanya Bishnoi - Unsold</li>
	<li>Yudhvir Charak - Mumbai Indians - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Ajay Dev Goud - Unsold</li>
	<li>K Bhagath Varma - Chennai Super Kings - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Jack Wildermuth - Unsold</li>
	<li>Harsh Tyagi - Unsold</li>
	<li>Gerald Coetzee - Unsold</li>
	<li>Tim David - Unsold</li>
	<li>Marco Jansen - Mumbai Indians - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Pratyush Singh - Unsold</li>
	<li>Saurabh Kumar - Punjab Kings - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>C Hari Nishanth - Chennai Super Kings - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Akash Singh - Rajasthan Royals - ₹20 lakh</li>
	<li>Arjun Tendulkar - Mumbai Indians - ₹20 lakh</li>
</ul>

As many as 130 players, out of 298, went under the hammer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction, which was held in Chennai on Thursday. While South African all-rounder Chris Morris shattered the record of being the most expensive player in an IPL auction, the likes of Jhye Richardson, Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson Krishnappa Gowtham lit the stage up as franchises got involved in intense bidding wars in a bid to bolster their squads ahead of IPL 2021.

As many as 130 players, out of 298, went under the hammer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction, which was held in Chennai on Thursday. While South African all-rounder Chris Morris shattered the record of being the most expensive player in an IPL auction, the likes of Jhye Richardson, Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson Krishnappa Gowtham lit the stage up as franchises got involved in intense bidding wars in a bid to bolster their squads ahead of IPL 2021. After the end of mini-auction for IPL 2021, let us take a look at the full list of sold and unsold players: ALSO READ: IPL Auction 2021: Franchise wise complete players list of all eight squads ALSO READ: Shahrukh Khan and Arjun Tendulkar: All that turned IPL auction into a memefest Here is the full list of players at IPL Auction 2021: Karun Nair - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹50 lakh Alex Hales - Unsold Jason Roy - Unsold Steve Smith - Delhi Capitals - ₹2.2 Crore Evin Lewis - Unsold Aaron Finch - Unsold Hanuma Vihari - Unsold Glenn Maxwell - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹14.25 crore Kedar Jadhav - Sunrisers Hyderabad - ₹2 crore Shakib Al Hasan - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹3.2 Crore Moeen Ali - Chennai Super Kings - ₹7 crore Shivam Dube - Rajasthan Royals - ₹4.4 crore Chris Morris - Rajasthan Royals - ₹16.25 crore Dawid Malan - Punjab Kings - ₹1.5 crore Glenn Phillips - Unsold Alex Carey - Unsold Sam Billings - Delhi Capitals - ₹2 crore Kusal Perera - Unsold Adam Milne - Mumbai Indians - ₹3.2 crore Mustafizur Rahman - Rajasthan Royals - ₹1 crore Jhye Richardson - Punjab Kings - ₹14 crore Nathan Coulter-Nile - Mumbai Indians - ₹5 crore Sheldon Cotrell - Unsold Umesh Yadav - Delhi Capitals - ₹1 crore Adil Rashid - Unsold Rahul Sharma - Unsold Mujeeb Ur Rahman - Sunrisers Hyderabad - ₹1.5 crore Harbhajan Singh - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹2 crore Ish Sodhi - Unsold Piyush Chawla - Mumbai Indians - ₹2.4 crore Qais Ahmad - Unsold Himanshu Rana - Unsold C Hari Nishaanth - Unsold Sachin Baby - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh Rahul Gahlaut - Unsold Rajat Patidar - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh Himmat Singh - Unsold Vishnu Solanki - Unsold Atit Sheth - Unsold Ripal Patel - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh Shahrukh Khan - Punjab Kings - ₹5.25 crore Ayush Badoni - Unsold Venkatesh Iyer - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹20 lakh Vivek Singh - Unsold K Gowtham - Chennai Super Kings - ₹9.25 crore Vishnu Vinod - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh Sheldon Jackson - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹20 lakh Kedar Devdhar - Unsold Mohammed Azharuddeen - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh Avi Barot - Unsold Mujtaba Yousuf - Unsold Ankit Rajpoot - Unsold Lukman Meriwala - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh Chetan Sakariya - Rajasthan Royals - ₹1.2 crore Kuldeep Sen - Unsold Riley Meredith - Punjab Kings - ₹8 crore Tushar Deshpande - Unsold M Siddharth - Delhi Capitals - ₹20 lakh Karanveer Singh - Unsold Jagadeesha Suchith - Sunrisers Hyderabad - ₹30 lakh KC Cariappa - Rajasthan Royals - ₹20 lakh Sandeep Lamichhane - Unsold Midhun Sudhesan - Unsold Tejas Baroka - Unsold Rovman Powell - Unsold Shaun Marsh - Unsold Corey Anderson - Unsold Devon Conway - Unsold Darren Bravo - Unsold Rassie van der Dussen - Unsold Cheteshwar Pujara - Chennai Super Kings - ₹50 lakh Martin Guptill - Unsold Pawan Negi - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹50 lakh Kyle Jamieson - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹15 crore Ben Cutting - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹75 lakh Tom Curran - Delhi Capitals - ₹5.25 crore Gurkeerat Singh - Unsold Marnus Labuschagne - Unsold Moises Henriques - Punjab Kings - ₹4.2 crore Varun Aaron - Unsold Oshane Thomas - Unsold Mohit Sharma - Unsold Billy Stanlake - Unsold Mitchell McClenaghan - Unsold Jason Behrendorff - Unsold Naveen Ul Haq - Unsold Karan Sharma - Unsold Utkarsh Singh - Punjab Kings - ₹20 lakh KL Shrijith - Unsold Jalaj Saxena - Punjab Kings - ₹30 lakh Vaibhav Arora - Kolkata Knight Riders - ₹20 lakh Ben Dwarshuis - Unsold G Periyasamy - Unsold Fabian Allen - Punjab Kings - ₹75 lakh Daniel Christian - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹4.8 crore Liam Livingstone - Rajasthan Royals - ₹75 lakh Thisara Perera - Unsold Ben McDermott - Unsold Matthew Wade - Unsold Sean Abbott - Unsold Siddhesh Lad - Unsold Tejinder Dhillon - Unsold Prerak Mankad - Unsold Suyash Prabhudessai - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh KS Bharat - Royal Challengers Bangalore - ₹20 lakh Josh Inglis - Unsold M Harisankar Reddy - Chennai Super Kings - ₹20 lakh Simarjeet Singh - Unsold Kuldip Yadav - Rajasthan Royals - ₹20 lakh Scott Kuggeleijn - Unsold James Neesham - Mumbai Indians - ₹50 lakh Wayne Parnell - Unsold Reece Topley - Unsold Chris Green - Unsold Isuru Udana - Unsold George Linde - Unsold Chaitanya Bishnoi - Unsold Yudhvir Charak - Mumbai Indians - ₹20 lakh Ajay Dev Goud - Unsold K Bhagath Varma - Chennai Super Kings - ₹20 lakh Jack Wildermuth - Unsold Harsh Tyagi - Unsold Gerald Coetzee - Unsold Tim David - Unsold Marco Jansen - Mumbai Indians - ₹20 lakh Pratyush Singh - Unsold Saurabh Kumar - Punjab Kings - ₹20 lakh C Hari Nishanth - Chennai Super Kings - ₹20 lakh Akash Singh - Rajasthan Royals - ₹20 lakh Arjun Tendulkar - Mumbai Indians - ₹20 lakh

IPL 2021 Auction: Complete list of sold and unsold players

In what could be described as an exhilarating day, the auction for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was held in Chennai on Thursday as all eight franchises bought players in a bid to strengthen their&nbsp;respective&nbsp;teams for the upcoming IPL 2021.&nbsp;

While records were shattered on some of the biggest names in the cricketing world, some of the&nbsp;lesser-known&nbsp;names&nbsp;saw their lives changed after being bought by franchises in IPL 2021 auction.&nbsp;The likes of Chris Morris, the most expensive signing in IPL history, Kyle Jamieson,&nbsp;Jhye&nbsp;Richardson were roped in for hefty price while all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped player. The likes of Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed&nbsp;Azharuddeen, Jalaj Saxena, Sheldon Jackson among others were rewarded for their great performances during the IPL 2021 auction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{4bf913da-3def-4620-8b55-f2520e6a1b44}{190}" paraid="2059793526" >Here's the complete updated squad list of all eight IPL 2021 teams:&nbsp;</h2>

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shahrukh-khan-and-arjun-tendulkar-all-that-turned-ipl-auction-into-a-memefest-364608" hreflang="en">Shahrukh Khan and Arjun Tendulkar: All that turned IPL auction into a memefest</a>

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-auction-complete-list-of-sold-and-unsold-players-364604" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Auction: Complete list of sold and unsold players</a>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{ef5b2bca-660d-4bbc-9114-a724c63befb0}{20}" paraid="239540240" >CHENNAI SUPER KINGS&nbsp;</h2>

Faf&nbsp;du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (c&amp;wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, R. Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Josh&nbsp;Hazlewood, KM Asif, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K. Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishanth&nbsp;

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New entrants into the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperFam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperFam</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> 🦁💛 <a href="https://t.co/sSLqD0jESp">pic.twitter.com/sSLqD0jESp</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1362426543973130241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>MUMBAI INDIANS&nbsp;</h2>

Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary,&nbsp;Anmolpreet&nbsp;Singh, Aditya Tare (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit&nbsp;Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar&nbsp;

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Total players bought: 7⃣ 
Overseas slots filled: 4⃣ 
Total money spent today: 1⃣1⃣.7⃣0⃣ CR<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneFamily</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiIndians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiIndians</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/Iu5ylotFOS">pic.twitter.com/Iu5ylotFOS</a>
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan/status/1362420324608868356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE&nbsp;</h2>

Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt&nbsp;Padikkal, Josh Philippe (wk), AB de Villiers (wk), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel&nbsp;Sams,&nbsp;Yuzvendra&nbsp;Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell,&nbsp;Sachin&nbsp;Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed&nbsp;Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, K.S. Bharat&nbsp;

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And that's that! 
 
Leave us with your best gifs to describe how you're feeling about our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClassOf2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClassOf2021</a>, 12th Man Army! 
 
We'll begin...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreChallengers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreChallengers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/B1SP7wnRYc">pic.twitter.com/B1SP7wnRYc</a>
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets/status/1362413058115657730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>DELHI CAPITALS&nbsp;</h2>

Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk),&nbsp;Shimron&nbsp;Hetmyer, Marcus&nbsp;Stoinis, Chris&nbsp;Woakes, R Ashwin,&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso&nbsp;Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman&nbsp;Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings&nbsp;

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Very happy with how things panned out for us <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiCapitals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@delhicapitals</a> tonight, rounded out our squad strongly in all areas. Can't wait to get the group together and underway.
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) <a href="https://twitter.com/RickyPonting/status/1362411888945029126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>SUNRISERS HYDERABAD&nbsp;</h2>

David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey,&nbsp;Sreevats&nbsp;Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha&nbsp;Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeToSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeToSRH</a> Jagadeesha Suchith, <a href="https://twitter.com/JadhavKedar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JadhavKedar</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Mujeeb_R88?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mujeeb_R88</a>! 🧡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrangeArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OrangeArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/jqE8evn072">pic.twitter.com/jqE8evn072</a>
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers/status/1362417793593794565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>PUNJAB KINGS&nbsp;</h2>

KL Rahul (c&amp;wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh,&nbsp;Prabsimran&nbsp;Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan&nbsp;Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan,&nbsp;Jhye&nbsp;Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian&nbsp;Allen,&nbsp;Saurabh Kumar&nbsp;

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5 ✈️ 
4 🇮🇳 
 
A good day at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction2021</a> for us! 😁<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/AUQ4ZpBO7B">pic.twitter.com/AUQ4ZpBO7B</a>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1362431331905376257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS&nbsp;</h2>

Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun CV, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh&nbsp;Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Pawan Negi

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Welcome to the knighthood <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harbhajan_singh</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShelJackson27?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShelJackson27</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Cuttsy31?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cuttsy31</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Sah75official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sah75official</a>, Vaibhav Arora, <a href="https://twitter.com/karun126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@karun126</a>, Venkatesh Iyer &amp; Pawan Negi. 
 
Looking forward to play together in <a href="https://twitter.com/KKRiders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKRiders</a> 💪🏻<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a>
— DK (@DineshKarthik) <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshKarthik/status/1362420578334822401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>RAJASTHAN ROYALS&nbsp;</h2>

Sanju Samson (c&amp;wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul&nbsp;Tewatia, Mahipal&nbsp;Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank&nbsp;Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris,&nbsp;Mustafizur&nbsp;Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh&nbsp;

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Most expensive video you'll see on the internet today..😉 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HallaBol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HallaBol</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalsFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalsFamily</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction2021</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Tipo_Morris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tipo_Morris</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZG8nMoEfKH">pic.twitter.com/ZG8nMoEfKH</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1362418297493327879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In what could be described as an exhilarating day, the auction for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was held in Chennai on Thursday as all eight franchises bought players in a bid to strengthen their respective teams for the upcoming IPL 2021.

In what could be described as an exhilarating day, the auction for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was held in Chennai on Thursday as all eight franchises bought players in a bid to strengthen their respective teams for the upcoming IPL 2021. While records were shattered on some of the biggest names in the cricketing world, some of the lesser-known names saw their lives changed after being bought by franchises in IPL 2021 auction. The likes of Chris Morris, the most expensive signing in IPL history, Kyle Jamieson, Jhye Richardson were roped in for hefty price while all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped player. The likes of Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Jalaj Saxena, Sheldon Jackson among others were rewarded for their great performances during the IPL 2021 auction. Here's the complete updated squad list of all eight IPL 2021 teams: ALSO READ: Shahrukh Khan and Arjun Tendulkar: All that turned IPL auction into a memefest ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Auction: Complete list of sold and unsold players CHENNAI SUPER KINGS Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, R. Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Josh Hazlewood, KM Asif, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Harisankar Reddy, K. Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishanth New entrants into the #SuperFam! #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/sSLqD0jESp — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) February 18, 2021 × MUMBAI INDIANS Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar Total players bought: 7⃣ Overseas slots filled: 4⃣ Total money spent today: 1⃣1⃣.7⃣0⃣ CR#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/Iu5ylotFOS — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2021 × ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Josh Philippe (wk), AB de Villiers (wk), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, K.S. Bharat And that's that! Leave us with your best gifs to describe how you're feeling about our #ClassOf2021, 12th Man Army! We'll begin...#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/B1SP7wnRYc — Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 18, 2021 × DELHI CAPITALS Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings Very happy with how things panned out for us @delhicapitals tonight, rounded out our squad strongly in all areas. Can't wait to get the group together and underway. — Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) February 18, 2021 × SUNRISERS HYDERABAD David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman #WelcomeToSRH Jagadeesha Suchith, @JadhavKedar and @Mujeeb_R88! 🧡#IPLAuction #OrangeArmy #IPL2021 #SRH pic.twitter.com/jqE8evn072 — SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) February 18, 2021 × PUNJAB KINGS KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar 5 ✈️ 4 🇮🇳 A good day at the #IPLAuction2021 for us! 😁#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/AUQ4ZpBO7B — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 18, 2021 × KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Tim Seifert (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun CV, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Pawan Negi Welcome to the knighthood @harbhajan_singh, @ShelJackson27, @Cuttsy31, @Sah75official, Vaibhav Arora, @karun126, Venkatesh Iyer & Pawan Negi. Looking forward to play together in @KKRiders 💪🏻#IPL2021 — DK (@DineshKarthik) February 18, 2021 × RAJASTHAN ROYALS Sanju Samson (c&wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh Most expensive video you'll see on the internet today..😉 #HallaBol | #RoyalsFamily | #IPLAuction | #IPLAuction2021 | @Tipo_Morris pic.twitter.com/ZG8nMoEfKH — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) February 18, 2021 ×

IPL Auction 2021: Complete players list of all eight squads

Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun, a left-arm fast bowler who made his senior Mumbai team debut this year, has been bought for a base price of Rs 20 lakh by Mumbai Indians.

He made his Twenty20 debut on 15 January 2021, for Mumbai in the 2020–21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Haryana and soon may play in the Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL 2021).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-auction-highlights-from-chris-morris-to-glenn-maxwell-all-the-details-from-mini-auction-364497">Also read | IPL 2021 Auction, Highlights: From Chris Morris to Glenn Maxwell - all the details from mini-auction</a> 
 
Arjun had been playing for Mumbai at the U-19 level and other age-group competitions. He was part of the Mumbai T20 league which was played in 2019. Arjun also made his India Under-19 debut in 2018 when he toured with the side for a two-match Youth Test series against Sri Lanka Under-19 team.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Chris Morris fetched the highest ever bid of Rs 16.25 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history as Rajasthan Royals (RR) picked the pace-bowling all-rounder after intense competition with Punjab Kings at a player auction here. The base price of 33-year-old Morris, who didn`t have a great 2020 IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), was Rs.75 lakh.

Yuvraj Singh held the previous all-time record with Rs.16 crore, for which Delhi Daredevils bought him in 2015. And the highest ever bid for a foreigner was Rs.15.5 crore for which Kolkata Knight Riders bought Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins last year.&nbsp;

IPL 2021 auction was held in Chennai for the 14th season of Indian Premier League (IPL). A total of eight franchises were bidding to acquire 61 players. 164 Indian, 125 foreign and 3 players from associate countries had been registered in the IPL 2021 auction list.

(With inputs from agencies)

Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun, a left-arm fast bowler who made his senior Mumbai team debut this year, has been bought for a base price of Rs 20 lakh by Mumbai Indians.

Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun, a left-arm fast bowler who made his senior Mumbai team debut this year, has been bought for a base price of Rs 20 lakh by Mumbai Indians. He made his Twenty20 debut on 15 January 2021, for Mumbai in the 2020–21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Haryana and soon may play in the Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL 2021). Also read | IPL 2021 Auction, Highlights: From Chris Morris to Glenn Maxwell - all the details from mini-auction Arjun had been playing for Mumbai at the U-19 level and other age-group competitions. He was part of the Mumbai T20 league which was played in 2019. Arjun also made his India Under-19 debut in 2018 when he toured with the side for a two-match Youth Test series against Sri Lanka Under-19 team. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Chris Morris fetched the highest ever bid of Rs 16.25 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history as Rajasthan Royals (RR) picked the pace-bowling all-rounder after intense competition with Punjab Kings at a player auction here. The base price of 33-year-old Morris, who didn`t have a great 2020 IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), was Rs.75 lakh. Yuvraj Singh held the previous all-time record with Rs.16 crore, for which Delhi Daredevils bought him in 2015. And the highest ever bid for a foreigner was Rs.15.5 crore for which Kolkata Knight Riders bought Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins last year. IPL 2021 auction was held in Chennai for the 14th season of Indian Premier League (IPL). A total of eight franchises were bidding to acquire 61 players. 164 Indian, 125 foreign and 3 players from associate countries had been registered in the IPL 2021 auction list. (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2021: Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun to play for Mumbai Indians

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction is set to take place on Thursday in Chennai and the franchises will go toe to toe for the all-rounders as they are the hottest property of T20 cricket.&nbsp;

It is that time of the year when 292 cricketers from around the world will go under the hammer at the IPL auction.&nbsp;

Apart from the big names in the fray, there are two domestic uncapped players with famous names are catching people's attention this year.&nbsp;

The young wicket-keeper batsman from Kerala,&nbsp;Mohammed Azharuddeen (base price Rs 20 lakh)&nbsp;scored a scintillating century against Mumbai in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 214 runs from just five matches playing for Kerala.

Tamil Nadu's batting allrounder, Masood Shahrukh Khan&nbsp;(base price Rs 20 lakh), lit the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament with his brilliant performance that helped Tamil Nadu lift the title. A clean-hitting batsman, who can also bowl off-spinners. His 19-ball unbeaten 40 took his side to the quarterfinal of the tournament. The proven match-winner is indeed a young talent on which franchises will put their money.&nbsp;

A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players, and 3 players from associate nations will be up for grabs in the mini-auction.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction is set to take place on Thursday in Chennai and the franchises will go toe to toe for the all-rounders as they are the hottest property of T20 cricket.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction is set to take place on Thursday in Chennai and the franchises will go toe to toe for the all-rounders as they are the hottest property of T20 cricket. It is that time of the year when 292 cricketers from around the world will go under the hammer at the IPL auction. Apart from the big names in the fray, there are two domestic uncapped players with famous names are catching people's attention this year. The young wicket-keeper batsman from Kerala, Mohammed Azharuddeen (base price Rs 20 lakh) scored a scintillating century against Mumbai in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He scored 214 runs from just five matches playing for Kerala. Tamil Nadu's batting allrounder, Masood Shahrukh Khan (base price Rs 20 lakh), lit the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament with his brilliant performance that helped Tamil Nadu lift the title. A clean-hitting batsman, who can also bowl off-spinners. His 19-ball unbeaten 40 took his side to the quarterfinal of the tournament. The proven match-winner is indeed a young talent on which franchises will put their money. A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players, and 3 players from associate nations will be up for grabs in the mini-auction. (With inputs from agencies)

Azhar and Shahrukh can make it big in IPL auction 2021

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris on Thursday became the most expensive player bought for the Indian Premier League when Rajasthan Royals paid $2.25 million for him.

The fee smashed the record $2.2 million paid for Yuvraj Singh by Delhi Daredevils in 2015.

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris on Thursday became the most expensive player bought for the Indian Premier League when Rajasthan Royals paid $2.25 million for him.

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris on Thursday became the most expensive player bought for the Indian Premier League when Rajasthan Royals paid $2.25 million for him. The fee smashed the record $2.2 million paid for Yuvraj Singh by Delhi Daredevils in 2015.

South Africa's Morris smashes IPL auction record with $2.25m fee

A total of 292 players are set to go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction, to be held on Thursday (February 18) in Chennai. While all the eight franchises will look to bolster their respective squads, players can expect a good payday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Among all the eight franchises ahead of IPL 2021 auction, Kings XI Punjab – now Punjab Kings – have the highest purse remaining at a massive INR 53.20 crore, closely followed by Rajasthan Royals, who have INR 37.85 crore&nbsp;at their helm. Fans can expect both Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals to spend heavy and sign some big-name players.&nbsp;

Ahead of the IPL 2021 auction, let us take a look at the remaining purse of all the eight franchises and number of slots they need to fill. Here's all you need to know about IPL 2021 auction.

<table border="4" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="336pt">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="7" height="20" width="448">IPL 2021/ Squad Size/Salary Cap/Available Slots</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="78">Franchise</td>
			<td>No of Players</td>
			<td width="64">No of Overseas Players</td>
			<td width="64">Total&nbsp; money spent (Rs.)</td>
			<td width="64">Salary cap available (Rs.)</td>
			<td>Available Slots</td>
			<td>Overseas Slots</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">CSK</td>
			<td>19</td>
			<td>7</td>
			<td>65.1</td>
			<td>19.9</td>
			<td>6</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">DC</td>
			<td>17</td>
			<td>5</td>
			<td>71.6</td>
			<td>13.4</td>
			<td>8</td>
			<td>3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">KXIP</td>
			<td>16</td>
			<td>3</td>
			<td>31.8</td>
			<td>53.2</td>
			<td>9</td>
			<td>5</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">KKR</td>
			<td>17</td>
			<td>6</td>
			<td>74.25</td>
			<td>10.75</td>
			<td>8</td>
			<td>2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">MI</td>
			<td>18</td>
			<td>4</td>
			<td>69.65</td>
			<td>15.35</td>
			<td>7</td>
			<td>4</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">RR</td>
			<td>16</td>
			<td>5</td>
			<td>47.15</td>
			<td>37.85</td>
			<td>9</td>
			<td>3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">RCB</td>
			<td>14</td>
			<td>5</td>
			<td>49.6</td>
			<td>35.4</td>
			<td>11</td>
			<td>3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td height="20">SRH</td>
			<td>22</td>
			<td>7</td>
			<td>74.25</td>
			<td>10.75</td>
			<td>3</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

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📸📸 Snapshots from the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ VIVO IPL Player Auction Briefing here in Chennai. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLAuction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLAuction</a> <a href="https://t.co/U41oDD2bfp">pic.twitter.com/U41oDD2bfp</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1362087021368410116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>1) Mumbai Indians&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 7&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 4&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 15.35 crore&nbsp;

Retained players: Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare,&nbsp;Anmolpreet&nbsp;Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit&nbsp;Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohsin Khan&nbsp;

Released players: Prince Balwant Rai, Digvijay Deshmukh, Lasith Malinga, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson,&nbsp;Sherfane&nbsp;Rutherford, Mitchell&nbsp;McCleneghan&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-to-yuvraj-singh-costliest-picks-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions</a>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{bf21ac71-a6bc-466e-a162-d41a525b2374}{14}" paraid="675925591" >2) Chennai Super Kings&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 6&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 1&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 19.90 crore&nbsp;

Retained players: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo,&nbsp;Faf&nbsp;du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Sam Curran, Josh&nbsp;Hazlewood, R Sai Kishore, Robin Uthappa (traded)&nbsp;

Released players: Kedar Jadhav, Murali Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Monu Singh, Shane Watson&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-malan-to-smith-five-overseas-players-to-lookout-for-in-ipl-2021-auction-363192" hreflang="en">From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction</a>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{bf21ac71-a6bc-466e-a162-d41a525b2374}{122}" paraid="197945189" >3) Kolkata Knight Riders&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 8&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 2&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 10.75 crore&nbsp;

Retained players: Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik, Kamlesh&nbsp;Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Tim Seifert&nbsp;

Released players: Chris Green, Harry Gurney, M Siddharth, Nikhil Naik, Siddhesh Lad, Tom Banton&nbsp;

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{bf21ac71-a6bc-466e-a162-d41a525b2374}{230}" paraid="578989930" >4) Royal Challengers Bangalore&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 11&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 3&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 35.40 crore&nbsp;

Retained players: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Devdutt&nbsp;Padikkal, Md. Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar,&nbsp;Yuzvendra&nbsp;Chahal, Joshua Phillipe, Pavan Deshpande, Shahbaz Ahmed, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson,&nbsp;Daniel&nbsp;Sams (traded), Harshal Patel (traded).

Released players: Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Aaron Finch, Umesh Yadav, Dale Steyn, Moeen Ali, Parthiv Patel, Pawan Negi,&nbsp;Isuru&nbsp;Udana, Gurkeerat Mann&nbsp;

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d4fbed22-5c68-4cc1-8b14-93bcb1c73370}{83}" paraid="124434173" >5) Kings XI Punjab&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 9&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 5&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 53.20 crore&nbsp;

Retained players: KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Darshan&nbsp;Nalkande, Harpreet Brar, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Mohd. Shami, M Ashwin, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Chris Jordan,&nbsp;Prabhsimran&nbsp;Singh&nbsp;

Released players: Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Mujeeb Zadran,&nbsp;Hardus&nbsp;Viljoen, James Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Karun Nair, Jagadeesha&nbsp;Suchith, Tejinder Singh Dhillon&nbsp;

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d4fbed22-5c68-4cc1-8b14-93bcb1c73370}{191}" paraid="2137865764" >6) Delhi Capitals&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 8&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 3&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 13.4 crore&nbsp;

Retained players: Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan,&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso&nbsp;Rabada, Prithvi Shaw, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan,&nbsp;Shimron&nbsp;Hetmyer, Marcus&nbsp;Stoinis, Lalit Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Pravin Dubey, Chris&nbsp;Woakes

Released players: Alex Carey, Keemo Paul, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mohit Sharma, Jason Roy&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-mohammed-kaif-reveals-delhi-capitals-strategy-ahead-of-mini-auction-364354" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Mohammed Kaif reveals Delhi Capitals' strategy ahead of mini-auction</a>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{009a2904-5c3a-4741-86a3-9e986d089084}{44}" paraid="951538923" >7) Rajasthan Royals&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 9&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 3&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 37.85 crore&nbsp;

Retained players: Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Mahipal&nbsp;Lomror, Manan Vohra, Mayank&nbsp;Markande, Rahul&nbsp;Tewatia, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, Kartik Tyagi, David Miller, Andrew Tye&nbsp;

Released players: Steve Smith, Akash Singh, Anirudha Joshi, Ankit Rajpoot, Oshane Thomas, Shashank Singh, Tom Curran, Varun Aaron&nbsp;

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{009a2904-5c3a-4741-86a3-9e986d089084}{152}" paraid="2123861351" >8) Sunrisers Hyderabad&nbsp;</h2>

Available slots: 3&nbsp;

Overseas slots: 1&nbsp;

Remaining purse: Rs 10.75 crore&nbsp;&nbsp;

Retained players: David Warner, Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem,&nbsp;Shreevats&nbsp;Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad&nbsp;

Released players: Billy&nbsp;Stanlake, Sandeep&nbsp;Bavanaka, Fabian Allen, Sanjay Yadav, Prithviraj&nbsp;Yarra&nbsp;

A total of 292 players are set to go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction, to be held on Thursday (February 18) in Chennai. While all the eight franchises will look to bolster their respective squads, players can expect a good payday.

A total of 292 players are set to go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction, to be held on Thursday (February 18) in Chennai. While all the eight franchises will look to bolster their respective squads, players can expect a good payday. Among all the eight franchises ahead of IPL 2021 auction, Kings XI Punjab – now Punjab Kings – have the highest purse remaining at a massive INR 53.20 crore, closely followed by Rajasthan Royals, who have INR 37.85 crore at their helm. Fans can expect both Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals to spend heavy and sign some big-name players. Ahead of the IPL 2021 auction, let us take a look at the remaining purse of all the eight franchises and number of slots they need to fill. Here's all you need to know about IPL 2021 auction. IPL 2021/ Squad Size/Salary Cap/Available Slots Franchise No of Players No of Overseas Players Total money spent (Rs.) Salary cap available (Rs.) Available Slots Overseas Slots CSK 19 7 65.1 19.9 6 1 DC 17 5 71.6 13.4 8 3 KXIP 16 3 31.8 53.2 9 5 KKR 17 6 74.25 10.75 8 2 MI 18 4 69.65 15.35 7 4 RR 16 5 47.15 37.85 9 3 RCB 14 5 49.6 35.4 11 3 SRH 22 7 74.25 10.75 3 1 📸📸 Snapshots from the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣ VIVO IPL Player Auction Briefing here in Chennai. #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/U41oDD2bfp — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 17, 2021 × 1) Mumbai Indians Available slots: 7 Overseas slots: 4 Remaining purse: Rs 15.35 crore Retained players: Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohsin Khan Released players: Prince Balwant Rai, Digvijay Deshmukh, Lasith Malinga, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell McCleneghan ALSO READ: From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions 2) Chennai Super Kings Available slots: 6 Overseas slots: 1 Remaining purse: Rs 19.90 crore Retained players: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Sam Curran, Josh Hazlewood, R Sai Kishore, Robin Uthappa (traded) Released players: Kedar Jadhav, Murali Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Monu Singh, Shane Watson ALSO READ: From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction 3) Kolkata Knight Riders Available slots: 8 Overseas slots: 2 Remaining purse: Rs 10.75 crore Retained players: Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Tim Seifert Released players: Chris Green, Harry Gurney, M Siddharth, Nikhil Naik, Siddhesh Lad, Tom Banton 4) Royal Challengers Bangalore Available slots: 11 Overseas slots: 3 Remaining purse: Rs 35.40 crore Retained players: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal, Md. Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Joshua Phillipe, Pavan Deshpande, Shahbaz Ahmed, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams (traded), Harshal Patel (traded). Released players: Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Aaron Finch, Umesh Yadav, Dale Steyn, Moeen Ali, Parthiv Patel, Pawan Negi, Isuru Udana, Gurkeerat Mann 5) Kings XI Punjab Available slots: 9 Overseas slots: 5 Remaining purse: Rs 53.20 crore Retained players: KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Darshan Nalkande, Harpreet Brar, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Mohd. Shami, M Ashwin, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Chris Jordan, Prabhsimran Singh Released players: Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Mujeeb Zadran, Hardus Viljoen, James Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Karun Nair, Jagadeesha Suchith, Tejinder Singh Dhillon 6) Delhi Capitals Available slots: 8 Overseas slots: 3 Remaining purse: Rs 13.4 crore Retained players: Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Prithvi Shaw, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Lalit Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Pravin Dubey, Chris Woakes Released players: Alex Carey, Keemo Paul, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mohit Sharma, Jason Roy ALSO READ: IPL 2021: Mohammed Kaif reveals Delhi Capitals' strategy ahead of mini-auction 7) Rajasthan Royals Available slots: 9 Overseas slots: 3 Remaining purse: Rs 37.85 crore Retained players: Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Mahipal Lomror, Manan Vohra, Mayank Markande, Rahul Tewatia, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, Kartik Tyagi, David Miller, Andrew Tye Released players: Steve Smith, Akash Singh, Anirudha Joshi, Ankit Rajpoot, Oshane Thomas, Shashank Singh, Tom Curran, Varun Aaron 8) Sunrisers Hyderabad Available slots: 3 Overseas slots: 1 Remaining purse: Rs 10.75 crore Retained players: David Warner, Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad Released players: Billy Stanlake, Sandeep Bavanaka, Fabian Allen, Sanjay Yadav, Prithviraj Yarra

IPL 2021 mini-auction: Remaining slots, available balance, retained and released players - All you need to know!

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 players auction is all set to be held on Thursday (February 18) in Chennai. As many as 292 players will go under the hammer&nbsp;with&nbsp;all eight IPL franchises&nbsp;looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the IPL 2021 season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While big-name players like Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell,&nbsp;Jhye&nbsp;Richardson, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali among many others are available to be roped in by franchise during IPL 2021 auction, domestic players&nbsp;like Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed&nbsp;Azharuddeen&nbsp;are also expected to have a big day at IPL 2021 auction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-mini-auction-remaining-slots-available-balance-retained-and-released-players-all-you-need-to-know-364374" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 mini-auction: Remaining slots, available balance, retained and released players - All you need to know!</a>

Ahead of the IPL 2021 mini-auction, let us take a look at the list of all 292 players available.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-to-yuvraj-singh-costliest-picks-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions</a>

<ul>
	<li>Aaron Finch</li>
	<li>Alex Hales</li>
	<li>Evin Lewis</li>
	<li>Karun Nair</li>
	<li>Jason Roy</li>
	<li>Steve Smith</li>
	<li>Hanuma Vihari</li>
	<li>Shakib Al Hasan</li>
	<li>Moeen Ali</li>
	<li>Shivam Dube</li>
	<li>Kedar Jadhav</li>
	<li>Dawid Malan</li>
	<li>Glenn Maxwell</li>
	<li>Chris Morris</li>
	<li>Sam Billings</li>
	<li>Alex Carey</li>
	<li>Kusal Perera</li>
	<li>Glenn Phillips</li>
	<li>Sheldon Cottrell</li>
	<li>Nathan Coulter‐Nile</li>
	<li>Adam Milne</li>
	<li>Mustafizur Rahman</li>
	<li>Jhye Richardson</li>
	<li>Mark Wood (OPTED OUT)</li>
	<li>Umesh Yadav</li>
	<li>Qais Ahmad</li>
	<li>Piyush Chawla</li>
	<li>Mujeeb Ur Rahman&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Adil Rashid</li>
	<li>Rahul Sharma</li>
	<li>Harbhajan Singh</li>
	<li>Ish Sodhi</li>
	<li>Sachin Baby</li>
	<li>Rahul Gahlaut</li>
	<li>C.Hari Nishaanth</li>
	<li>Rajat Patidar</li>
	<li>Himanshu Rana</li>
	<li>Himmat Singh</li>
	<li>Vishnu Solanki</li>
	<li>Ayush Badoni</li>
	<li>K Gowtham</li>
	<li>Venkatesh Iyer</li>
	<li>Shahrukh Khan</li>
	<li>Ripal Patel</li>
	<li>Atit Sheth</li>
	<li>Vivek Singh</li>
	<li>Mohammed Azharuddeen</li>
	<li>Avi Barot</li>
	<li>Kedar Devdhar</li>
	<li>Sheldon Jackson</li>
	<li>Vishnu Vinod</li>
	<li>Tushar Deshpande</li>
	<li>Riley Meredith</li>
	<li>Lukman Hussain Meriwala</li>
	<li>Ankit Singh Rajpoot</li>
	<li>Chetan Sakariya</li>
	<li>KuldeepSen</li>
	<li>Mujtaba Yousuf</li>
	<li>Tejas Baroka</li>
	<li>K.C Cariappa</li>
	<li>Sandeep Lamichhane</li>
	<li>M Siddharth</li>
	<li>Karanveer Singh</li>
	<li>Jagadeesha Suchith</li>
	<li>Midhun Sudhesan</li>
	<li>Corey Anderson</li>
	<li>Darren Bravo</li>
	<li>Devon Conway</li>
	<li>Martin Guptill</li>
	<li>Shaun Marsh</li>
	<li>Rovman Powell</li>
	<li>Cheteshwar Pujara</li>
	<li>Rassie Van Der Dussen</li>
	<li>Tom Curran</li>
	<li>Ben Cutting</li>
	<li>Moises Henriques</li>
	<li>Kyle Jamieson</li>
	<li>Marnus Labuschagne</li>
	<li>Pawan Negi</li>
	<li>Gurkeerat Singh</li>
	<li>Mitchell McClenaghan</li>
	<li>Varun Aaron</li>
	<li>Jason Behrendorff</li>
	<li>Mohit Sharma</li>
	<li>Billy Stanlake</li>
	<li>Oshane Thomas</li>
	<li>Finn Allen</li>
	<li>Harpreet Bhatia</li>
	<li>Shivam Chauhan</li>
	<li>Naushad Shaikh</li>
	<li>Pratham Singh</li>
	<li>Apoorv Wankhade</li>
	<li>Atharva Ankolekar</li>
	<li>Prayas Barman</li>
	<li>Jalaj Saxena</li>
	<li>Karan Sharma</li>
	<li>Utkarsh Singh</li>
	<li>R Sonu Yadav</li>
	<li>Dhruv Jurel</li>
	<li>Arun Karthick</li>
	<li>Nikhil Naik</li>
	<li>Smit Patel</li>
	<li>K.L Shrijith</li>
	<li>Wesley Agar</li>
	<li>Vaibhav Arora</li>
	<li>Akash Deep</li>
	<li>Ben Dwarshuis</li>
	<li>Ali Khan</li>
	<li>Kulwant Khejroliya</li>
	<li>Arzan Nagwaswalla</li>
	<li>G Periyasamy</li>
	<li>Akash Singh</li>
	<li>Prithviraj Yarra</li>
	<li>Noor Ahmad Lakanwal</li>
	<li>Karthik Meiyappan</li>
	<li>Prince Balwant Rai</li>
	<li>Pardeep Sahu</li>
	<li>Sagar Udeshi</li>
	<li>Kushaal Wadhwani</li>
	<li>Akshay Wakhare</li>
	<li>Fabian Allen</li>
	<li>Daniel Christian</li>
	<li>Colin De Grandhomme</li>
	<li>Liam Livingstone</li>
	<li>Thisara Perera</li>
	<li>Mohammad Shaifuddin</li>
	<li>David Willey</li>
	<li>Matthew Wade</li>
	<li>Ben Duckett</li>
	<li>Sean Abbott</li>
	<li>Matt Henry</li>
	<li>Chemar Holder</li>
	<li>Alzarri Joseph</li>
	<li>Obed Mccoy</li>
	<li>Liam Plunkett</li>
	<li>Tim Southee</li>
	<li>Rajesh Bishnoi</li>
	<li>Abhimanyu Easwaran</li>
	<li>Rohan Kadam</li>
	<li>Amandeep Khare</li>
	<li>Siddhesh Lad</li>
	<li>Mohammed Taha</li>
	<li>Khrievitso Kense</li>
	<li>Prerak Mankad</li>
	<li>Shams Mulani</li>
	<li>Ansh Patel</li>
	<li>Suyash Prabhudessai</li>
	<li>Parth Sahani</li>
	<li>Ankit Sharma</li>
	<li>Dhruv Shorey</li>
	<li>K.S Bharat</li>
	<li>Josh Inglis</li>
	<li>Aryan Juyal</li>
	<li>Sadiq Kirmani</li>
	<li>Rohit Sharma</li>
	<li>Sandeep Kumar Tomar</li>
	<li>Stephen Cheepurupalli</li>
	<li>Aniket Choudhary</li>
	<li>Mukesh Choudhary</li>
	<li>Nathan Ellis</li>
	<li>Sayan Ghosh</li>
	<li>Ronit More</li>
	<li>M Nidheesh</li>
	<li>M Harisankar Reddy</li>
	<li>Simarjeet Singh</li>
	<li>Kuldip Yadav</li>
	<li>Zeeshan Ansari</li>
	<li>Jon Russ Jaggesar</li>
	<li>Kevin Koththigoda</li>
	<li>Tanveer Sangha</li>
	<li>Maheesh Theekshan</li>
	<li>Vijayakanth Viyaskanth</li>
	<li>Lewis Gregory</li>
	<li>Wanindu Hasaranga</li>
	<li>Karim Janat</li>
	<li>Scott Kuggeleijn</li>
	<li>James Neesham</li>
	<li>Wayne Parnell</li>
	<li>Keemo Paul</li>
	<li>Dushmanta Chameera</li>
	<li>Fidel Edwards</li>
	<li>Beuran Hendricks</li>
	<li>Abhimanyu Mithun</li>
	<li>Reece Topley</li>
	<li>Saahil Jain</li>
	<li>Subhranshu Senapati</li>
	<li>Ravi Thakur</li>
	<li>Jake Weatherald</li>
	<li>Shubham Agrawal</li>
	<li>Rajjakuddin Ahmed</li>
	<li>Baba Aparajith</li>
	<li>George Garton</li>
	<li>Chris Green</li>
	<li>Kartik Kakade</li>
	<li>Shoaib Khan</li>
	<li>Dhruv Patel</li>
	<li>Latest Kumar Patel</li>
	<li>Arjun Tendulkar</li>
	<li>Varun Choudhary</li>
	<li>Prathamesh Dake</li>
	<li>Baltej Dhanda</li>
	<li>Brendan Doggett</li>
	<li>Saurabh Dubey</li>
	<li>Fazalhaq Farooqi</li>
	<li>Matt Kelly</li>
	<li>Chama Milind</li>
	<li>Jayden Seales</li>
	<li>Mark Steketee</li>
	<li>Tanveer Ul Haq</li>
	<li>Carlos Brathwaite</li>
	<li>Rishi Dhawan</li>
	<li>Mohammad Mahmud Ullah</li>
	<li>Andile Phehlukwayo</li>
	<li>Sherfane Rutherford</li>
	<li>Dasun Shanaka</li>
	<li>Isuru Udana</li>
	<li>Jacob Duffy</li>
	<li>Daryn Dupavillon</li>
	<li>Shannon Gabriel</li>
	<li>Morne Morkel</li>
	<li>Joel Paris</li>
	<li>Blair Tickner</li>
	<li>Subodh Bhati</li>
	<li>Jay Bista</li>
	<li>Aamir Gani</li>
	<li>Karanveer Kaushal</li>
	<li>Anustup Majumdar</li>
	<li>Dikshanshu Negi</li>
	<li>Kshitiz Sharma</li>
	<li>Shubham Singh</li>
	<li>Shashank Singh</li>
	<li>Milind Tandon</li>
	<li>Ravi Bopara</li>
	<li>George Linde</li>
	<li>Kyle Mayers</li>
	<li>Daryl Mitchell</li>
	<li>Colin Munro</li>
	<li>Dwaine Pretorius</li>
	<li>Romario Shepherd</li>
	<li>Sandeep Bavanaka</li>
	<li>Chaitanya Bishnoi</li>
	<li>Arun Chaprana</li>
	<li>Yudhvir Charak</li>
	<li>Ajay Dev Goud</li>
	<li>Umran Malik</li>
	<li>Ravi Teja Telukupalli</li>
	<li>Tanay Thyagarajan</li>
	<li>N.Tilak Varma</li>
	<li>K.Bhagath Varma</li>
	<li>Stuart Binny</li>
	<li>Hilton Cartwright</li>
	<li>James Faulkner</li>
	<li>Akeal Hosein</li>
	<li>Parvez Rasool</li>
	<li>David Wiese</li>
	<li>Jack Wildermuth</li>
	<li>Arshdeep Brar</li>
	<li>Digvijay Deshmukh</li>
	<li>Aakarshit Gomel</li>
	<li>Anirudha Joshi</li>
	<li>Azim Kazi</li>
	<li>Rahul Singh</li>
	<li>Ajay T</li>
	<li>Harsh Tyagi</li>
	<li>Nachiket Bhute</li>
	<li>Josh Clarkson</li>
	<li>Gerald Coetzee</li>
	<li>Tim David</li>
	<li>Deeparaj Gaonkar</li>
	<li>Aaron Hardie</li>
	<li>Marco Jansen</li>
	<li>Nathan McAndrew</li>
	<li>M Mohammed</li>
	<li>Govinda Poddar</li>
	<li>Pratyush Singh</li>
	<li>Jacques Snyman</li>
</ul>

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 players auction is all set to be held on Thursday (February 18) in Chennai. As many as 292 players will go under the hammer with all eight IPL franchises looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the IPL 2021 season.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 players auction is all set to be held on Thursday (February 18) in Chennai. As many as 292 players will go under the hammer with all eight IPL franchises looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the IPL 2021 season. While big-name players like Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali among many others are available to be roped in by franchise during IPL 2021 auction, domestic players like Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Azharuddeen are also expected to have a big day at IPL 2021 auction. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 mini-auction: Remaining slots, available balance, retained and released players - All you need to know! Ahead of the IPL 2021 mini-auction, let us take a look at the list of all 292 players available. ALSO READ: From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions Aaron Finch Alex Hales Evin Lewis Karun Nair Jason Roy Steve Smith Hanuma Vihari Shakib Al Hasan Moeen Ali Shivam Dube Kedar Jadhav Dawid Malan Glenn Maxwell Chris Morris Sam Billings Alex Carey Kusal Perera Glenn Phillips Sheldon Cottrell Nathan Coulter‐Nile Adam Milne Mustafizur Rahman Jhye Richardson Mark Wood (OPTED OUT) Umesh Yadav Qais Ahmad Piyush Chawla Mujeeb Ur Rahman Adil Rashid Rahul Sharma Harbhajan Singh Ish Sodhi Sachin Baby Rahul Gahlaut C.Hari Nishaanth Rajat Patidar Himanshu Rana Himmat Singh Vishnu Solanki Ayush Badoni K Gowtham Venkatesh Iyer Shahrukh Khan Ripal Patel Atit Sheth Vivek Singh Mohammed Azharuddeen Avi Barot Kedar Devdhar Sheldon Jackson Vishnu Vinod Tushar Deshpande Riley Meredith Lukman Hussain Meriwala Ankit Singh Rajpoot Chetan Sakariya KuldeepSen Mujtaba Yousuf Tejas Baroka K.C Cariappa Sandeep Lamichhane M Siddharth Karanveer Singh Jagadeesha Suchith Midhun Sudhesan Corey Anderson Darren Bravo Devon Conway Martin Guptill Shaun Marsh Rovman Powell Cheteshwar Pujara Rassie Van Der Dussen Tom Curran Ben Cutting Moises Henriques Kyle Jamieson Marnus Labuschagne Pawan Negi Gurkeerat Singh Mitchell McClenaghan Varun Aaron Jason Behrendorff Mohit Sharma Billy Stanlake Oshane Thomas Finn Allen Harpreet Bhatia Shivam Chauhan Naushad Shaikh Pratham Singh Apoorv Wankhade Atharva Ankolekar Prayas Barman Jalaj Saxena Karan Sharma Utkarsh Singh R Sonu Yadav Dhruv Jurel Arun Karthick Nikhil Naik Smit Patel K.L Shrijith Wesley Agar Vaibhav Arora Akash Deep Ben Dwarshuis Ali Khan Kulwant Khejroliya Arzan Nagwaswalla G Periyasamy Akash Singh Prithviraj Yarra Noor Ahmad Lakanwal Karthik Meiyappan Prince Balwant Rai Pardeep Sahu Sagar Udeshi Kushaal Wadhwani Akshay Wakhare Fabian Allen Daniel Christian Colin De Grandhomme Liam Livingstone Thisara Perera Mohammad Shaifuddin David Willey Matthew Wade Ben Duckett Sean Abbott Matt Henry Chemar Holder Alzarri Joseph Obed Mccoy Liam Plunkett Tim Southee Rajesh Bishnoi Abhimanyu Easwaran Rohan Kadam Amandeep Khare Siddhesh Lad Mohammed Taha Khrievitso Kense Prerak Mankad Shams Mulani Ansh Patel Suyash Prabhudessai Parth Sahani Ankit Sharma Dhruv Shorey K.S Bharat Josh Inglis Aryan Juyal Sadiq Kirmani Rohit Sharma Sandeep Kumar Tomar Stephen Cheepurupalli Aniket Choudhary Mukesh Choudhary Nathan Ellis Sayan Ghosh Ronit More M Nidheesh M Harisankar Reddy Simarjeet Singh Kuldip Yadav Zeeshan Ansari Jon Russ Jaggesar Kevin Koththigoda Tanveer Sangha Maheesh Theekshan Vijayakanth Viyaskanth Lewis Gregory Wanindu Hasaranga Karim Janat Scott Kuggeleijn James Neesham Wayne Parnell Keemo Paul Dushmanta Chameera Fidel Edwards Beuran Hendricks Abhimanyu Mithun Reece Topley Saahil Jain Subhranshu Senapati Ravi Thakur Jake Weatherald Shubham Agrawal Rajjakuddin Ahmed Baba Aparajith George Garton Chris Green Kartik Kakade Shoaib Khan Dhruv Patel Latest Kumar Patel Arjun Tendulkar Varun Choudhary Prathamesh Dake Baltej Dhanda Brendan Doggett Saurabh Dubey Fazalhaq Farooqi Matt Kelly Chama Milind Jayden Seales Mark Steketee Tanveer Ul Haq Carlos Brathwaite Rishi Dhawan Mohammad Mahmud Ullah Andile Phehlukwayo Sherfane Rutherford Dasun Shanaka Isuru Udana Jacob Duffy Daryn Dupavillon Shannon Gabriel Morne Morkel Joel Paris Blair Tickner Subodh Bhati Jay Bista Aamir Gani Karanveer Kaushal Anustup Majumdar Dikshanshu Negi Kshitiz Sharma Shubham Singh Shashank Singh Milind Tandon Ravi Bopara George Linde Kyle Mayers Daryl Mitchell Colin Munro Dwaine Pretorius Romario Shepherd Sandeep Bavanaka Chaitanya Bishnoi Arun Chaprana Yudhvir Charak Ajay Dev Goud Umran Malik Ravi Teja Telukupalli Tanay Thyagarajan N.Tilak Varma K.Bhagath Varma Stuart Binny Hilton Cartwright James Faulkner Akeal Hosein Parvez Rasool David Wiese Jack Wildermuth Arshdeep Brar Digvijay Deshmukh Aakarshit Gomel Anirudha Joshi Azim Kazi Rahul Singh Ajay T Harsh Tyagi Nachiket Bhute Josh Clarkson Gerald Coetzee Tim David Deeparaj Gaonkar Aaron Hardie Marco Jansen Nathan McAndrew M Mohammed Govinda Poddar Pratyush Singh Jacques Snyman

IPL 2021 Auction: Full list of 292 players set to go under hammer

292 cricketers are set to go under the hammer for the upcoming IPL 2021 on Thursday at Chennai. Several franchises have kept a close eye on big names like Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell for the upcoming auctions.&nbsp;

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-to-yuvraj-singh-costliest-picks-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions</a>

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has said that there is one such youngster, who possesses the all-round skills of Andre Russell and could be a hot property in these auctions. According to Gambhir, New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson will have plenty of takers for the upcoming auctions.&nbsp;

"Kyle Jamieson is not a big name at the moment, but he will turn out to be a superstar. This is probably the right auction for all franchisees to get a hold of him. And because he is someone whom you can keep for a longer period of time. He is seven feet… he is that tall. He can bowl 140 and can hit the ball long. He probably could be the next Andre Russell in the making," Gambhir said on Star Sports.

"Yes, he's not a finished product and everyone knows about it but is someone who is probably young and you can have that core built around him. A franchise like Kings XI (Punjab Kings) who are looking for that allrounder or some other franchise, they can think of someone like Jamieson."

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-malan-to-smith-five-overseas-players-to-lookout-for-in-ipl-2021-auction-363192" hreflang="en">From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction</a>

Since his debut against India in February of 2020, the young pacer has played six Tests, two ODI and four T20Is. On his debut, the seven-foot-tall Kiwi dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari and scored 44 runs. Jamieson's best figures came against Pakistan where he had figures of 5/69 and 6/48.

"Even Sunrisers, because he is someone who can bowl with the new ball, and can bat at No. 6 and 7 and can hit the long ball against spin and fast bowling. He's a great asset and he's going to get better from here," added Gambhir.

"It's not as if he's reached his peak. There are players like Russell and Morris, who have already reached their peak. They can't get better than this. But with Jamieson, there will always be this thing where he'll keep improving. This is his first experience in India, he'll only start getting better from here on. So it will be a great addition if someone can pick him and keep him for a long time."

292 cricketers are set to go under the hammer for the upcoming IPL 2021 on Thursday at Chennai. Several franchises have kept a close eye on big names like Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell for the upcoming auctions.

292 cricketers are set to go under the hammer for the upcoming IPL 2021 on Thursday at Chennai. Several franchises have kept a close eye on big names like Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell for the upcoming auctions. IN PICS| From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has said that there is one such youngster, who possesses the all-round skills of Andre Russell and could be a hot property in these auctions. According to Gambhir, New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson will have plenty of takers for the upcoming auctions. "Kyle Jamieson is not a big name at the moment, but he will turn out to be a superstar. This is probably the right auction for all franchisees to get a hold of him. And because he is someone whom you can keep for a longer period of time. He is seven feet… he is that tall. He can bowl 140 and can hit the ball long. He probably could be the next Andre Russell in the making," Gambhir said on Star Sports. "Yes, he's not a finished product and everyone knows about it but is someone who is probably young and you can have that core built around him. A franchise like Kings XI (Punjab Kings) who are looking for that allrounder or some other franchise, they can think of someone like Jamieson." IN PICS| From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction Since his debut against India in February of 2020, the young pacer has played six Tests, two ODI and four T20Is. On his debut, the seven-foot-tall Kiwi dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari and scored 44 runs. Jamieson's best figures came against Pakistan where he had figures of 5/69 and 6/48. "Even Sunrisers, because he is someone who can bowl with the new ball, and can bat at No. 6 and 7 and can hit the long ball against spin and fast bowling. He's a great asset and he's going to get better from here," added Gambhir. "It's not as if he's reached his peak. There are players like Russell and Morris, who have already reached their peak. They can't get better than this. But with Jamieson, there will always be this thing where he'll keep improving. This is his first experience in India, he'll only start getting better from here on. So it will be a great addition if someone can pick him and keep him for a long time."

Gautam Gambhir picks his next 'superstar' ahead of IPL 2021 auctions

Delhi Capitals have made giants strides under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer under head coach Ricky Ponting. While the Delhi franchise is yet to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, they have one of the best squads in the cash-rich tournament and would be looking to bolster their squad when players go&nbsp;under the hammer during IPL 2021 auction on February 18 (Thursday) in Chennai.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ahead of the much-awaited IPL 2021 auction, Delhi Capitals assistant coach&nbsp;and former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif has revealed DC's plan during Thursday's mini-auction. Kaif has said that Delhi Capitals will look to get back-up players in the IPL 2021 auction in a bid to bolster their bench&nbsp;strength&nbsp;for IPL 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-to-yuvraj-singh-costliest-picks-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions</a>

"We have released a few players, so we will be looking to fill those gaps. I think flexibility is the key in the auction. One can have all the plans for the auction, but things can change on the auction table," Kaif said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
"We have to take spontaneous decisions. Our main players have been playing continuously and there are no fitness issues as well. So, we'll be looking to acquire some back-up players in tomorrow's auction," he added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-malan-to-smith-five-overseas-players-to-lookout-for-in-ipl-2021-auction-363192" hreflang="en">From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction</a> 
&nbsp; 
Commenting on the current squad, another assistant coach Pravin Amre said, "To be honest, if we are asked to play tomorrow also, we have a playing XI ready with us, so I think that's the successful planning, and that's what we learned from other teams also, who back their core for a long time."&nbsp;

Overall, Delhi Capitals&nbsp;have&nbsp;eight spots open, including three overseas slots.&nbsp;However, a thin purse of INR 13.4 crore, could make things tough for them if they want to sign big-name players.&nbsp;

Delhi Capitals have made giants strides under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer under head coach Ricky Ponting. While the Delhi franchise is yet to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, they have one of the best squads in the cash-rich tournament and would be looking to bolster their squad when players go under the hammer during IPL 2021 auction on February 18 (Thursday) in Chennai.

Delhi Capitals have made giants strides under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer under head coach Ricky Ponting. While the Delhi franchise is yet to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, they have one of the best squads in the cash-rich tournament and would be looking to bolster their squad when players go under the hammer during IPL 2021 auction on February 18 (Thursday) in Chennai. Ahead of the much-awaited IPL 2021 auction, Delhi Capitals assistant coach and former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif has revealed DC's plan during Thursday's mini-auction. Kaif has said that Delhi Capitals will look to get back-up players in the IPL 2021 auction in a bid to bolster their bench strength for IPL 2021. ALSO READ: From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions "We have released a few players, so we will be looking to fill those gaps. I think flexibility is the key in the auction. One can have all the plans for the auction, but things can change on the auction table," Kaif said. "We have to take spontaneous decisions. Our main players have been playing continuously and there are no fitness issues as well. So, we'll be looking to acquire some back-up players in tomorrow's auction," he added. ALSO READ: From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction Commenting on the current squad, another assistant coach Pravin Amre said, "To be honest, if we are asked to play tomorrow also, we have a playing XI ready with us, so I think that's the successful planning, and that's what we learned from other teams also, who back their core for a long time." Overall, Delhi Capitals have eight spots open, including three overseas slots. However, a thin purse of INR 13.4 crore, could make things tough for them if they want to sign big-name players.

IPL 2021: Mohammed Kaif reveals Delhi Capitals' strategy ahead of mini-auction

The Indian Cricket Board is contemplating allowing fans for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), said president Sourav Ganguly.

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-to-yuvraj-singh-costliest-picks-in-every-ipl-auctions-364071" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions</a> 
 
While dates are yet to be officially announced for the IPL`s 2021 edition, it is expected to be held between the months of April and May. 
 
The player auction will be held on Thursday. 
 
"It`s a small auction but I think a lot of teams will have a lot of work to do. It was unbelievable the way it went in the UAE amid all the Covid scare in the months of October and November," Ganguly told Star Sports. 
 
"It got amazing ratings, the best in the last 13 years. This year it is going to be big as well. We`ll see if we can get crowds back into the IPL. That`s a decision we will have to take shortly," he said.

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-malan-to-smith-five-overseas-players-to-lookout-for-in-ipl-2021-auction-363192" hreflang="en">From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction</a>

Ganguly said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was keen on having crowds for India`s first Test against England, which was the first cricket to be held in the country in over a year. 
 
"We wanted the fans back. We could have had them in the first Test in Chennai but we decided to go with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, who said let`s see how it goes for the first one because it`s our first game after a long time and we`ll open it up for the second Test. I know the Gujarat Cricket Association will add a bit more to the cricket, not just with the game but a lot of other things around the game. It`s going to be a great Test match for everyone," said Ganguly. 
 
The third and fourth matches of the series will be played at the refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium. The third Test will be a day-night match and Ganguly said that tickets have been sold out. 
 
"Ahmedabad is completely sold out. I spoke to Jay Shah and he`s very keen on these Test matches. Just for him also cricket is coming back to Ahmedabad after six-seven years because they built the new stadium, and I have told him we have set an example with pink-ball Test last year in Kolkata, so it cannot go beyond that and we want to see every seat and stand full. And that`s what it is, the tickets have gone, as well as for the T20s which will follow the Tests," said Ganguly.

The Indian Cricket Board is contemplating allowing fans for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), said president Sourav Ganguly. IN PICS| From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions While dates are yet to be officially announced for the IPL`s 2021 edition, it is expected to be held between the months of April and May.

The Indian Cricket Board is contemplating allowing fans for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), said president Sourav Ganguly. IN PICS| From MS Dhoni to Yuvraj Singh: Costliest picks in every IPL auctions While dates are yet to be officially announced for the IPL`s 2021 edition, it is expected to be held between the months of April and May. The player auction will be held on Thursday. "It`s a small auction but I think a lot of teams will have a lot of work to do. It was unbelievable the way it went in the UAE amid all the Covid scare in the months of October and November," Ganguly told Star Sports. "It got amazing ratings, the best in the last 13 years. This year it is going to be big as well. We`ll see if we can get crowds back into the IPL. That`s a decision we will have to take shortly," he said. IN PICS| From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction Ganguly said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was keen on having crowds for India`s first Test against England, which was the first cricket to be held in the country in over a year. "We wanted the fans back. We could have had them in the first Test in Chennai but we decided to go with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, who said let`s see how it goes for the first one because it`s our first game after a long time and we`ll open it up for the second Test. I know the Gujarat Cricket Association will add a bit more to the cricket, not just with the game but a lot of other things around the game. It`s going to be a great Test match for everyone," said Ganguly. The third and fourth matches of the series will be played at the refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium. The third Test will be a day-night match and Ganguly said that tickets have been sold out. "Ahmedabad is completely sold out. I spoke to Jay Shah and he`s very keen on these Test matches. Just for him also cricket is coming back to Ahmedabad after six-seven years because they built the new stadium, and I have told him we have set an example with pink-ball Test last year in Kolkata, so it cannot go beyond that and we want to see every seat and stand full. And that`s what it is, the tickets have gone, as well as for the T20s which will follow the Tests," said Ganguly.

BCCI contemplating allowing fans for IPL 2021: Sourav Ganguly

Explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will go under the hammer for the base price of Rs. 2 crores for the upcoming IPL 2021 auctions.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-virat-kohli-loses-cool-after-umpires-call-hands-joe-root-a-lifeline-363823" hreflang="en">Watch: Virat Kohli loses cool after 'umpire's call' hands Joe Root a lifeline</a>

Maxwell, who was released by Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab), has set his eyes on Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore as he can play alongside his "idol" AB de Villiers.&nbsp;

"That'll be awesome. AB [is] one of my idols and one of the guys I've always tried to watch the way he goes about [things]," Maxwell was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.&nbsp;

"It'll be awesome to work with him, and he's always been really helpful to me along the journey. Whenever I've caught up with him, he's been brilliant. So to be able to work with him first hand will be pretty cool."

Former Proteas batsman De Villiers has been a part of the Royal Challengers since 2011. The prolific batsman has scored 4178 runs from 141 matches. RCB skipper Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers are often considered as one of the IPL's most dangerous batting duo and Maxwell's inclusion could bolster the attack for the Challengers.&nbsp;

"I get along with Virat pretty well. It'll be certainly nice to work under Virat and will certainly enjoy batting with him - that's for sure," Maxwell added.

IPL 2021 Auctions: 292 players have been shortlisted to go under auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League. These players have been picked from the initial list of 1,114 cricketers. The auction for IPL 2021 will be held on February 18 in Chennai.

Explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will go under the hammer for the base price of Rs. 2 crores for the upcoming IPL 2021 auctions. ALSO READ: Watch: Virat Kohli loses cool after 'umpire's call' hands Joe Root a lifeline Maxwell, who was released by Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab), has set his eyes on Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore as he can play alongside his "idol" AB de Villiers.

Explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will go under the hammer for the base price of Rs. 2 crores for the upcoming IPL 2021 auctions. ALSO READ: Watch: Virat Kohli loses cool after 'umpire's call' hands Joe Root a lifeline Maxwell, who was released by Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab), has set his eyes on Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore as he can play alongside his "idol" AB de Villiers. "That'll be awesome. AB [is] one of my idols and one of the guys I've always tried to watch the way he goes about [things]," Maxwell was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. "It'll be awesome to work with him, and he's always been really helpful to me along the journey. Whenever I've caught up with him, he's been brilliant. So to be able to work with him first hand will be pretty cool." Former Proteas batsman De Villiers has been a part of the Royal Challengers since 2011. The prolific batsman has scored 4178 runs from 141 matches. RCB skipper Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers are often considered as one of the IPL's most dangerous batting duo and Maxwell's inclusion could bolster the attack for the Challengers. "I get along with Virat pretty well. It'll be certainly nice to work under Virat and will certainly enjoy batting with him - that's for sure," Maxwell added. IPL 2021 Auctions: 292 players have been shortlisted to go under auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League. These players have been picked from the initial list of 1,114 cricketers. The auction for IPL 2021 will be held on February 18 in Chennai.

'That'll be awesome': Glenn Maxwell looking forward to bat alongside his 'idol' in IPL

From Malan to Smith: Five overseas players to lookout for in IPL 2021 auction

England skipper Joe Root on Friday said that he is "desperate" to play in cash-rich Indian Premier League, however, his commitment to England cricket remains a top priority.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-news-ipl-2021-auctions-292-players-including-164-indian-cricketers-shortlisted-checkout-the-complete-list-363086" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 auctions: 292 players, including 164 Indian cricketers shortlisted; check out the complete list</a>

Root opted out of this year's IPL auctions that were set to be held on February 18. "It was a very difficult decision," Root said on the eve of the second Test against India in Chennai starting Saturday.

"At some point in my career I am desperate to try and be a part of an IPL season and a few more beyond that. Something that I love to experience and love to be a part of."

Root is not a part of England's T20I squad in the on-going series against India and he has not ever featured in the T20 league.&nbsp;

"With the amount of international cricket and Test cricket, in particular, this year, I didn't feel it was the right time to throw all my energy into it which I think it deserves," said Root.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sreesanths-exclusion-from-ipl-auction-shortlist-leaves-netizens-puzzled-questions-arjun-tendulkars-inclusion-363128" hreflang="en">Netizens puzzled post Sreesanth's exclusion from IPL auction; questions Arjun Tendulkar's inclusion</a>

"And I don't think it would set English cricket up best with what's to come. Hopefully next year there will be an opportunity to potentially be a part of the IPL or at least be in the auctions."

IPL 2021 Auctions: 292 players have been shortlisted to go under auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League. These players have been picked from the initial list of 1,114 cricketers.

"Rs 2 crore is the highest reserve price and two Indian players - Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav -- and eight overseas players -- Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy &amp; Mark Wood have chosen to be slotted in the highest bracket," BCCI's statement said.

12 overseas cricketers (no Indians) are there in the auction list with the base price Rs 1.5 crore. 11 players, including just two Indian players (Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav), in the list, will have the base price of Rs 1 crore.&nbsp;

The statement released by BCCI read: "1,114 cricketers had initially registered for the auction. The final list was then pruned after the eight franchises submitted their shortlist of players."

England skipper Joe Root on Friday said that he is "desperate" to play in cash-rich Indian Premier League, however, his commitment to England cricket remains a top priority.

England skipper Joe Root on Friday said that he is "desperate" to play in cash-rich Indian Premier League, however, his commitment to England cricket remains a top priority. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 auctions: 292 players, including 164 Indian cricketers shortlisted; check out the complete list Root opted out of this year's IPL auctions that were set to be held on February 18. "It was a very difficult decision," Root said on the eve of the second Test against India in Chennai starting Saturday. "At some point in my career I am desperate to try and be a part of an IPL season and a few more beyond that. Something that I love to experience and love to be a part of." Root is not a part of England's T20I squad in the on-going series against India and he has not ever featured in the T20 league. "With the amount of international cricket and Test cricket, in particular, this year, I didn't feel it was the right time to throw all my energy into it which I think it deserves," said Root. ALSO READ: Netizens puzzled post Sreesanth's exclusion from IPL auction; questions Arjun Tendulkar's inclusion "And I don't think it would set English cricket up best with what's to come. Hopefully next year there will be an opportunity to potentially be a part of the IPL or at least be in the auctions." IPL 2021 Auctions: 292 players have been shortlisted to go under auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League. These players have been picked from the initial list of 1,114 cricketers. "Rs 2 crore is the highest reserve price and two Indian players - Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav -- and eight overseas players -- Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy & Mark Wood have chosen to be slotted in the highest bracket," BCCI's statement said. 12 overseas cricketers (no Indians) are there in the auction list with the base price Rs 1.5 crore. 11 players, including just two Indian players (Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav), in the list, will have the base price of Rs 1 crore. The statement released by BCCI read: "1,114 cricketers had initially registered for the auction. The final list was then pruned after the eight franchises submitted their shortlist of players."

'Difficult decision': England skipper Joe Root opts out of IPL 2021 auction

IPL 2021 Auctions: 292 players have been shortlisted to go under auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League. These players have been picked from the initial list of 1,114 cricketers. The auction for IPL 2021 will be held on February 18 in Chennai.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-former-indian-batting-coach-sanjay-bangar-joins-royal-challengers-bangalore-as-batting-consultant-362869" hreflang="en">IPL: Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar joins Royal Challengers Bangalore as batting consultant</a>

<h2>The mini-auction for IPL 2021 will kick off from 3 pm IST.</h2>

Click <a href="https://resources.platform.iplt20.com/IPL/document/2021/02/11/c467e02f-05b8-43c6-bd00-0fab10c0974b/VIVO-IPL-2021-Player-Auction-List.pdf">HERE</a>&nbsp;for the complete list of&nbsp;IPL 2021 auctions.

"Rs 2 crore is the highest reserve price and two Indian players - Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav -- and eight overseas players -- Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy &amp; Mark Wood have chosen to be slotted in the highest bracket," BCCI's statement said.

12 overseas cricketers (no Indians) are there in the auction list with the base price Rs 1.5 crore. 11 players, including just two Indian players (Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav), in the list, will have the base price of Rs 1 crore.&nbsp;

The statement released by BCCI read: "1,114 cricketers had initially registered for the auction. The final list was then pruned after the eight franchises submitted their shortlist of players."

"A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players and 3 players from Associate Nations will be up for grabs in the VIVO IPL 2021 Player Auction in Chennai," it said.

KL Rahul's Kings XI Punjab will enter the auction with the highest purse (Rs 53.1 crore) after releasing big names like Aussie all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and West Indies' Sheldon Cottrell

Dhoni's Chennai have a purse of Rs 22.7 purse and seven spots to fill. Chennai Super Kings had a disappointing campaign last year and have released Harbhajan and Jadhav.&nbsp;

Controversial India bowler Sreesanth missed out on the list, whereas, Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun Tendulkar will go under the hammer for the base price of Rupees 20 lakhs.

IPL 2021 Auctions: 292 players have been shortlisted to go under auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League. These players have been picked from the initial list of 1,114 cricketers.

IPL 2021 Auctions: 292 players have been shortlisted to go under auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League. These players have been picked from the initial list of 1,114 cricketers. The auction for IPL 2021 will be held on February 18 in Chennai. ALSO READ: IPL: Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar joins Royal Challengers Bangalore as batting consultant The mini-auction for IPL 2021 will kick off from 3 pm IST. Click HERE for the complete list of IPL 2021 auctions. "Rs 2 crore is the highest reserve price and two Indian players - Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav -- and eight overseas players -- Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy & Mark Wood have chosen to be slotted in the highest bracket," BCCI's statement said. 12 overseas cricketers (no Indians) are there in the auction list with the base price Rs 1.5 crore. 11 players, including just two Indian players (Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav), in the list, will have the base price of Rs 1 crore. The statement released by BCCI read: "1,114 cricketers had initially registered for the auction. The final list was then pruned after the eight franchises submitted their shortlist of players." "A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players and 3 players from Associate Nations will be up for grabs in the VIVO IPL 2021 Player Auction in Chennai," it said. KL Rahul's Kings XI Punjab will enter the auction with the highest purse (Rs 53.1 crore) after releasing big names like Aussie all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and West Indies' Sheldon Cottrell Dhoni's Chennai have a purse of Rs 22.7 purse and seven spots to fill. Chennai Super Kings had a disappointing campaign last year and have released Harbhajan and Jadhav. Controversial India bowler Sreesanth missed out on the list, whereas, Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun Tendulkar will go under the hammer for the base price of Rupees 20 lakhs.

IPL 2021 auctions: 292 players, including 164 Indian cricketers shortlisted; checkout the complete list

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