Rashid Khan overshadows R Ashwin in IPL auction 2018, stays with Sunrisers Hyderabad

Kings XI Punjab offered Rs 9 crore to buy Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan in IPL auction 2018 but Sunrisers Hyderabad used the Right-to-Match card to keep the teenaged sensation

Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan took the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 player auction by storm after Sunrisers Hyderabad exercised their Right-to-Match by shelling out a whopping Rs 9 crore. (LIVE UPDATES of IPL AUCTION 2018)

The purse eclipsed the trading of India off-spinner R Ashwin, who was bought for Rs 7.6 crore by Kings XI Punjab from the first lot of marquee players on Saturday.

SRH, the IPL 2016 champions, were forced to fork out big money after a bidding war between Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore saw price soar for the 19-year-old Afghan, who has taken Twenty20 leagues by storm in the last two years.

The meteoric rise of Rashid Khan, the face of Afghanistan cricket, from playing tennis-ball cricket has been a key factor in the team being accorded Test status last year, giving fans from the warn-torn nation a lot to cheer.

BIG BASH STAR

ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year Rashid Khan took 17 wickets from 11 matches to help Sunrisers Hyderabad reach the playoff in IPL 2017. He is currently playing for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. Last season, SRH’s bowling was led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan.

It was certain that SRH would use the Right-to-Match card, but the frenzy to acquire his services also pointed to the value attached to wrist spinners as attacking options in limited-overs cricket these days.

BIG DAY FOR LEG-SPINNERS

Rashid’s Rs 9 crore was the second-highest paid for a bowler, after Kolkata Knight Riders paid up Rs 9.4 crore for Aussie pace spearhead Mitchell Starc.

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, a potent weapon in the limited-overs side, also stayed with Royal Challengers Bangalore after the Virat Kohli-led team retained him for Rs 6 crore, the highest bid put in by Delhi Daredevils.

Chinaman bowler, Kuldeep Yadav, too was retained by Kolkata Knight Riders using the RTM card, after RCB had looked to pull off a coup by bidding Rs 5.8 crore for the rising spinner in the India ranks and pair him with Chahal.