It’s the biggest show in cricket and it lived up to its reputation.
It’s the Indian Premier League auction and it took place in Jeddah, the city in Saudi Arabia that’s pouring millions of its unending supply of oil profits into a number of sports.
There’s golf and boxing and tennis to follow and it is now negotiating with the money-churning IPL for a stake in its operations.
After all, the IPL has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning Cricket India into one of the richest governing bodies in sport. Two years ago, it sold the broadcast rights for five IPL seasons to global media giants for $6.2 billion US.
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On a wild weekend, India grabbed all the headlines from Jeddah to Perth, where the national team demolished Australia in the first of five Tests against all expectations.
In Jeddah, some 577 players from around the world went under the hammer to play in this lucrative league that churns out millionaires.
Hitting the jackpot in Jeddah this time around it was local internationals Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, who became the sport’s first $3-million men in the game.
Last year, it was Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc who topped the totem pole by collecting $2.98 million from Kolkata. About an hour earlier his Aussie captain Pat Cummins was inked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for $2.4 million.
But what a difference a year makes as Starc finds himself on the Delhi Capitals squad for 2025 for a reduced price of $840,000. Still not shabby, but an unbelievable cut in pay.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants dug deep into its coffers and splashed $3.2 million for Pant’s services in the 10-team Twenty20 league that lasts around two months.
Prior to Pant’s record bid, Punjab Kings stunned those watching on television by shelling out $3.18 million for batsman Shreyas Iyer. This bid came out of the blue as few expected him to attract such interest.
Pant’s rise to the top of the salary scale didn’t come as too much of a surprise, but it’s an amazing comeback for the wicket-keeper after a life-threatening car accident in 2022.
The other big surprise in two nights of money exchanging hands was for the signature of all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who was grabbed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping $2.83 million.
KL Rahul was the other Indian batsman to be inked for bug bucks by Delhi Capitals after a fierce bidding war that included Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. Rahul, who is in Australia with India’s national squad, was signed for $1.67 million.
Of course, some of the big names such as Indian superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did not go under the gavel as they have long-time contracts with their squads. But, as previously mentioned, the auction wasn’t without surprises as two of the finest Aussies, David Warner and Steve Smith, went unsold and a 13-year-old became the youngest player to join the IPL when Rajasthan Royals signed Vaibhav Suryavanshi for $200,000.
The right-hander made his debut in India’s domestic Ranji Trophy at 12 and hit a 58-ball hundred in the youth Test against Australia under-19s in October.
AUSSIES STUNNED
Against all expectations, India delivered one of the biggest shocks in the game by annihilating Australia in the first of five Tests for the Gavaskar-Border Trophy in Perth.
The Aussies are shaking their heads in disbelief while Indians are shaking their heads in joy.
That’s understandable as just a few weeks ago these same players were subjected to a flurry of abuse after visiting New Zealand departed with a 3-0 whitewash, its first on the sub-continent in three decades.
The man at the centre of this triumph Down Under was fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who led the squad in the absence of skipper Rohit Sharma, who stayed behind for the birth of his second child.
Bumrah, who has established himself as one of the world’s finest pacemen, took eight wickets to destroy the Baggy Greens.
Unlike fast bowlers who come roaring in, Bumrah walks and skips before fooling the batsmen with his freakish deliveries. The ball comes at pace, sometimes swinging in and out and at most times right on length.
India now has won five and only lost two of its past nine Tests since the 2018-19 tour. The only other team to have won a Test Down Under in that time is the West Indies. Bumrah’s squad crushed the Aussies by 295 runs inside four days after bowling out the Aussies for 238 in the second innings after being set 534 for victory.
Bumrah and fellow pacer Mohammad Siraj took three wickets apiece and newcomer Harshit Rana proved too much for the home team.
India was dismissed for 150 in the first knock with Josh Hazelwood creating the damage with four for 29, but India hit back by dismissing the Aussies for 104. Then India opened up in the second innings by posting 487 for six with 22-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal smashing a brilliant 161 and under-fire Kohli rediscovering his form for 100, his first Test century in 2024.
KL Rahul gave Jaiswal tremendous support with 77 and the opening pair put on 201 for the first wicket.
The second Test starts in Adelaide on Dec. 6.
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