All-rounders Raj Angad Bawa and Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who played a stellar role in India clinching the Under-19 World Cup a week ago, continued to steal the limelight as they joined the Crorepati Club at the Indian Premier League Player Auction on Sunday.
While Bawa, the player-of-the-match in the final of India’s triumphant campaign in the West Indies, was acquired by Punjab Kings for ₹2 crore, Hangargekar joined his Maharashtra senior Ruturaj Gaikwad at the Chennai Super Kings for ₹1.5 crore.
Dhull, Ostwal make it
The other two members of the winning squad who attracted bids in the Auction captain Yash Dhull (₹50 lakh) and left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal (₹20 lakh) who was the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup – would join the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2022.
Bawa’s signing amount by his home franchise was 10 times more than his base price of ₹20 lakh. The Punjab Kings pulled out after starting the bidding along with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Only after SRH pulled out at Mumbai Indians’ bid of ₹1.5 crore, did Kings re-enter to add the promising cricketer to its kitty.
Hangargekar, the only member in the batch of 2022 to have played senior inter-State tournaments, had set his base price at ₹30 lakh. CSK outbid Mumbai Indians in the race for the pacer who bowls consistently at 140kph and can clear the boundary at will.
Despite the disappointment of losing out on the budding all-rounder, Mumbai Indians held the honours of signing the most expensive Under-19 World Cupper in the mega auction. On Saturday, it bought Dewald Brevis of South Africa, referred to as Baby AB, for a whopping ₹3 crore.
