Kumar Kushagra was one of the lesser-known players who made a lot of headlines during the IPL 2024 auction after becoming the costliest pick of Delhi Capitals. The franchise picked him for Rs. 7.20 crore during the auction.
Kumar Kushagra’s father Shrikant has revealed that Delhi Capitals Team Director Sourav Ganguly had once told him that there is a bit of MS Dhoni in his son. He also added that Sourav Ganguly had promised him that Delhi Capitals would bid even Rs. 10 crore for Kuma Kushagra during the IPL 2024 auction.
Kumar Kushagra is a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from Jharkhand. He is an uncapped Indian player who plays for Jharkhand in domestic cricket. He has also represented the India Under-19 team in the past.
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There Is A Bit Of MS Dhoni In Him- Kumar Kushagra’s Father Reveals Sourav Ganguly’s Words
During an interview with The Indian Express, Kumar Kushagra’s father Shrikant revealed that Sourav Ganguly once told him that his son has similarities with MS Dhoni in his keeping tactics.
“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,” he said.
Mr. Shrikant also revealed that Sourav Ganguly promised that Delhi Capitals would bid even Rs. 10 crore for Kumar Kushagra.
“After the trials at Eden (Gardens), Ganguly told Kushagra that he would play for the Delhi Capitals and the franchise would bid for him till Rs 10 crore”, he said.
He also added that he was surprised to see his son getting so much amount during the auction as he expected he would get picked at his base price of Rs. 20 lakh.
“I thought he will get picked by Capitals at 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,” Mr. Shashikant further added.
Kumar Kushagra has a good domestic experience under his belt. The right-handed batsman has played 13 matches in First Class Cricket, 23 List A games, and 11 T20s. He has an average of 39+ in FC cricket and 46+ in List A games. With 140 runs in just 11 T20 matches, he has a strike rate of 117+.
Jhye Richardson And Harry Brook Were Other Costly Picks By Delhi Capitals
Meanwhile, other than Kumar Kushagra, Delhi Capitals also invested Rs. 5 crore for Australia pacer Jhye Richardson. Harry Brook became a member of the DC team for Rs. 4 crore. Sumit Kumar was another expensive pick for Delhi Capitals at Rs. 1 crore.
Other players that Delhi Capitals bought during the IPL 2024 auction were Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs for Rs. 75 lakh and Rs, 50 lakh respectively. The IPL 2020 runners-up bought Ricky Bhui, Swastik Chhikara, and Rasikh Dar for Rs. 20 lakh each. DC had Rs. 28.95 crore with then ahead of the auction. They could pick 9 players, out of which, 3 places were reserved for overseas players.
