The IPL 2024 Auction took place on Tuesday, December 19, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, where ten franchises successfully acquired a total of 72 players. Many stars secured major deals, and attention was drawn to certain uncapped Indian players who garnered significant sums as franchises eagerly spent a major portion of their budgets to secure their services.
One such player is uncapped Indian batter Kumar Kushagra, who, following a fierce bidding battle with Gujarat Titans, was successfully acquired by Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 7.2 Crore in the IPL 2024 Auction. Kushagra is a wicketkeeper-batter and he originates from the same state as the former Indian captain MS Dhoni, which is Jharkhand.
After being bought by the Delhi Capitals, his father Shashikanth, disclosed that the former India captain and current Director of Cricket at DC, Sourav Ganguly, expressed admiration for Kushagra’s proficiency in hitting sixes during the DC trials in Kolkata. This recognition likely played a pivotal role in influencing the franchise’s decision to secure Kushagra with a life-changing bid.
While having a conversation with Indian Express, Shashikanth Kushagra said, “At the trials, Ganguly was impressed with his six-hitting ability and ability to play the field. His keeping skills also impressed Ganguly and even told him that there is a bit of MS Dhoni in him when he whips the bails.”
Shashikanth went on to share that Sourav Ganguly had given his assurance to bid for his son up to INR 10 Crore. When Delhi Capitals secured Kumar Kushagra during the auction, Shashikanth described it as a miraculous day.
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“After the trials at Eden (Gardens), Ganguly told Kushagra that he would play for the Delhi Capitals and the franchise would bid for him for ₹10 crore. I thought he would get picked by the Capitals at the base price. For a few minutes, I was so numb. One can only think about miracles, and today was that kind of day. He was confident because Ganguly had promised him, but I thought he must have said this to encourage him,” he added.
