Both CSK and RR have insisted on this, with the former expressing its intention to bring Deshpande back to Chepauk. RR stuck to its stand and increased the bid to Rs 5 crore and soon raised it to Rs 6 crore. CSK made the final move by increasing the bid to Rs 6.25 crore. But RR increased its bid to Rs 6.50 crore and made Deshpande a royal. Gerald Coetzee was bought by Gujarat Titans for Rs 2.4 crore, while some franchises had shown interest in him. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has won the Purple Cap twice and is a household name in this cash-rich league, entered the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore. Mumbai immediately raised the bid and LSG immediately submitted its bid. It was a veritable bidding war for Bhuvneshwar, with franchises willing to break the bank for his services. LSG increased the bid to Rs 10 crore, causing MI to back out. It looked like the deal was done, but RCB finally acquired the experienced fast bowler for a price of Rs 10.75 crore. CSK and PBKS have shown interest in Mukesh Kumar, who is slowly making his mark. They ensured a competitive bidding war. A bid of Rs 5 crore was made by PBKS and CSK also responded.
PBKS decided to increase it to Rs 6 crore in the hope of keeping away competition from CSK, but to no avail. PBKS eventually pipped the five-time champions with Rs 6.50 crore.
But Delhi Capitals decided to exercise their right to match option. Punjab increased their bid to Rs 8 crore and DC decided to match it to bring Mukesh back to the franchise.
Deepak Chahar was another notable face in this set, after which MI and PBKS immediately stepped up the charge. Both improved each other's bids, until PBKS finally withdrew its bid at Rs 7.75 crore.
CSK finally increased the bid to Rs 8 crore, but MI remained adamant on bringing Chahar to Wankhede at a price of Rs 9.25 crore. India fast bowler Akash Deep was another player who secured himself a big payday after falling to CSK, PBKS and Lucknow Super Giants. LSG left everyone behind with a bid of Rs 8 crore, which strengthened their fast bowling attack. After missing out on buying Akash Deep, PBKS quickly bought New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and bought him for his base price of Rs 2 crore. Afghanistan's star spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman did not find any franchise and remained unsold. In the list of wicketkeeper-batsmen, South African opener Ryan Rickelton, who recently made a name for himself during the T20 series against India, has been given a new home by five-time champions Mumbai Indians.
Andhra Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat, who came with a base price of Rs 75 lakh, received no bids and remained unsold. Australian star Josh Inglis joined Punjab Kings for Rs 2.6 crore along with Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and former captain Ricky Ponting. However, his colleague Alex Carey could not strike a deal with any of the ten franchises. Don Ferreira of South Africa also did not find any buyer. (ANI)
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