From Virat Kohli’s Test century to Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer going at massive prices in IPL auction, a Super Sunday for cricket fans

What a thrilling Sunday for cricket fans. From Virat Kohli’s return to form and smashing his 30^th Test ton against Australia in the BGT Series in Perth to the mind- blowing auction in Riyadh, it was gripping. Yes, Kohli’s ton, a well-deserved one after a long time, may have been overshadowed by the big-spend auction, but nothing can take away its romance. There is a massive difference between what it is to play in a hard match and score runs when out of form and what it is to rake in the big bucks at an auction. Everything co-exists in cricket so no hard feeling really.

It has to be admitted, across sports leagues there are auctions which bring a zing. Yet, the way the IPL auction is becoming bigger and bigger breaks barriers. As an event which is tailor-made for TV and viewing on digital platforms, the IPL auction keeps growing. It was a bit like starting with trading in the blue chips first and then moving on to the others in Riyadh on Sunday. Even in this, Shreyas Iyer going to Punjab Kings for a record Rs 26.75 crore is just out of the world. The kind of competition among franchise owners to grab him left no doubt, for a proven cricketer there is a market even if he is not in the Indian side. Shreyas last played a T20 international ages ago. Yet, what has marked him out as special is being the winning captain of KKR in IPL 2024 and also being in good form this season in domestic cricket. Shreyas is distinctly unlucky he does not find a spot in any Indian side, but to be hitting the ball out of the park in the IPL auction is a bit like Chris Gayle in the good old days.

If Shreyas had sparked a bidding war after Arshdeep Singh also stayed back with Punjab Kings at a decent price, the moment Rishabh Pant’s name was mentioned, eyes lit up. People had said he would break all records. Yet, after Shreyas had himself raised the bar so high, Pant could not have gone cheaper. True to form, Lucknow Super Giants went whole hog to take him for Rs 27 crores. For someone described as a ‘failure’ with Delhi Capitals, Pant is now an icon. Whatever he has done after his comeback this summer has been special. For those who had indulged in kite flying Pant could go to Chennai Super Kings or even Royal Challengers Bangalore, it was a fight between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Lucknow side for Pant. It’s good to see Indians soar so high in the IPL auctions, as earlier it was the Aussies and English cricketers who were big buys.

At the same time, fans felt happy for KL Rahul, who decided to walk out of the Lucknow side. Delhi Capitals had to spend only Rs 14 crore to get him, which will make the experienced IPL performer happy. His performance in the Perth Test, overall, would have certainly helped as well. The change of franchises for marquee players is indeed going to be welcomed by fans. For the next three years, the IPL dates have been blocked. It goes to show how the event is parked at the top in a packed calendar for cricket.

If these purchases made headlines, what prompted KKR to spend Rs 23.75 crores on Venkatesh Iyer may sound illogical. As the third expensive player in this IPL, it is clear, the team values what a massive contribution he had made for the Kolkata in the 2024 season. There must be a bigger role for him in the KKR side, which has been hit by the exits of Shreyas and mentor Gautam Gambhir.

To see R.Ashwin return to Chennai Super Kings has delighted many. A few may say he is ageing and not fit for this format, but Ashwin is a player who puts in a 100 per cent, day in and day out. Despite being a Test star, Ashwin still slogs it out in the Tamil Nadu Premium League. CSK is a franchise which attaches a high emotional quotient withs its stars and Ashwin belongs to that category.

One more spinner who sent cricket fans into a tizzy was Yuzi Chahal, as he was grabbed by Punjab Kings for Rs 18 crore. Chahal is a proven T20 star, be it in the IPL or international cricket. And with Ricky Ponting now with the Punjab side, they splurged big money. Can their performances be in sync with the stars bought in IPL 2025, time will tell!