IPL auction: Ben Stokes goes for record Rs14.5 cr to Rising Pune Supergiants
England all-rounder Ben Stokes became the most expensive foreign player even in the Indian Premier League after Rising Pune Supergiants bought him for Rs. 14.5 crore in the IPL auction in Bengaluru.
Ben Stokes caused a sensation at the Indian Premier League player auctions on Monday after Rising Pune Supergiants coughed up a whopping Rs. 14.5 crore to buy the leading England all-rounder. (IPL auction, live updates
It is the highest ever price paid for a foreign player in the marquee franchise league’s 10-year history.
The Pune franchise, to be led by Australian Steve Smith this season, exhausted all but Rs 3 crore of their kitty to bag the biggest player in this year’s IPL auctions.
The 25-year-old Stokes, among the seven players who had the highest reserve price of Rs. 2 crore, triggered a bidding frenzy at the auctions in Bengaluru.
Watson eclipsed
The Rs. 9.5 crore paid for Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was the previous record paid for a foreign player.
It initially involved Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore before Delhi Daredevils and current champions Sunrisers Hyderabad jumped in. In the end, Rising Pune Supergiants, a team launched only last year, netted him.
Ben Stokes has taken giant strides as an impact all-rounder, and displayed his skills in the recent Test and limited-overs series played in India.
The record buy comes almost a year after Stokes’ heartbreak in India, after West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite’s final over heroics of four sixes saw England’s victory hopes vanish in the final of the World Twenty20 at the Eden Gardens.
Catch all the Latest Cricket News, Live Cricket Score and IPL 2024 Schedule, Nepal vs Netherlands Live Score match updates along with Cricket Schedule, WPL 2024 and other related updates on Hindustan Times Website and APPs