The Indian Premier League auction for the 2023 season is done and dusted, with some of the world's biggest players front and centre on Friday.
England's Sam Curran, the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, fetched a new record price when he was bought by Punjab Kings for 18.5 crore (£1.85million).
International team-mate Ben Stokes also brought in an impressive fee of 16.25 crore (£1.65m) from Chennai Super Kings, while Mumbai Indians landed Australia's Cameron Green for 17.5 crore (£1.75m).
Stats Perform runs through the standout deals of the day...
Sam Curran (Punjab Kings)
Having started his IPL career with Punjab in 2019, Curran is headed back after a stint with Chennai Super Kings and returns on the back of the best year of his career.
With 13 wickets at the T20 World Cup and huge batting potential, Curran is one of the most exciting purchases ahead of next year's tournament – as the price suggests.
Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings)
England's Test captain once again dug into his bag of tricks with a superb batting performance at the T20 World Cup to help his team beat Pakistan in the final.
Stokes heads to Chennai for a fee that matches the previous record set by Australia's Chris Morris last year, while his career IPL strike rate of 134.50 is indicative of a batsman who always goes big.
Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)
The second-most expensive buy in the auction, it is little surprise Green commanded such an impressive figure given his huge 173.75 strike rate across eight T20I matches.
The Australia all-rounder was expected to figure near the top of the bidding, and he will hope to live up to his billing with Mumbai next year.
Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans)
Williamson was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, allowing him to enter the auction and be picked up at his base price of 2 crore.
Despite playing a role in Sunrisers' title success in 2016, that fee illustrates Williamson's diminishing returns since then, although Gujarat will hope this is a bargain deal.
Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
This has been a breakout year for Brook, who followed T20 World Cup glory with an impressive impact on the Test stage, dominating for England against Pakistan.
Back in the white-ball arena, Brook was briefly the most expensive specialist batsman in IPL history when signed for 13.25 crore (£1.325m).
Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants)
Brook's record was short-lived as Pooran went under the hammer and sparked a bidding war.
Lucknow came out on top, paying out 16 crore (£1.6m) for his services and acquiring one of the most fearsome white-ball players around.
Josh Little (Gujarat Titans)
Ireland bowler Little saw his stock rise following a T20 World Cup where he took a hat-trick against New Zealand and helped inspire a shock triumph over England.
Little will become the first Irishman to play in the IPL after fetching 4.4 crore (£440,000).
Joe Root (Rajasthan Royals)
At last, one of the defining batsmen of his generation is headed to the IPL, with the former England Test captain finally selected to play in the world's premier T20 domestic competition after going unsold back in 2018.
Root, who did not play at the T20 World Cup, looked set for the same fate again, but a late one crore (£100,000) base price bid in an accelerated auction will take him to India next year.
Second washout stops England and Pakistan's T20 World Cup preparation
For the second time this series, England and Pakistan saw a game abandoned due to rain, this time at Sophia Gardens on Tuesday.
After their opening game at Headingley was washed out, the teams endured another frustrating day in Cardiff as the umpires called off the third match without a single bowl being bowled.
England’s 23-run victory at Edgbaston on Saturday means they have an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series.
However, Pakistan have one last chance to level things at The Oval on Thursday before both teams head off to the United States for the T20I World Cup in June.
“We got taught a lesson”: van der Dussen credits Windies for dominant performance in T20I series
South Africa stand-in Captain Rassie van der Dussen gave his West Indian counterparts all the praise in the world after his side suffered a dominant 0-3 defeat in their three T20Is from May 23-26 at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The hosts won last Thursday’s first encounter by 28 runs, their biggest win over South Africa in T20Is, and followed it up with a 16-run win in the second game on Saturday and a dominant eight-wicket triumph in the third match on Sunday.
The skipper put the South African performance down to an inability to quickly adapt to the conditions of the Sabina Park pitch.
“We just couldn’t adapt early enough. Yes, we had a long week in terms of layovers in Miami and so forth. I think we saw that in the first match but you can’t keep making the same mistakes,” van der Dussen said after Sunday’s game.
“I think we just got taught a lesson on how to play in Caribbean conditions, especially from a bowling front. It was a difficult wicket to bat on. I think they just out-skilled us, especially with the ball,” he added.
When asked about positives he could take from the three games, he singled out openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks as well as young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter who played the last two games, the first two T20Is of his career.
The 35-year-old, who was left out of South Africa’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, says an adjustment he hopes the team makes with the bat is to take a few more chances up front.
“Maybe just be a bit braver. We saw the way the West Indies play, especially in the power play. They really take it on and when the ball’s newer, it’s easier to score than in the back end when the ball gets soft,” he said.
Almost there: Lynch says Kensington Oval just about ready for T20 World Cup
With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup now just only a few days away, Chairman of the National Organising Committee Noel Lynch says the iconic Kensington Oval is just about ready for the showpiece which is scheduled to begin on Saturday.
Lynch’s confirmation came during a media tour of the venue, which will host nine matches, including the June 29 final.
“Kensington Oval has never looked as good as it does right now. The field, in particular, is in its best condition ever, and those who have played on it are nodding in agreement,” Lynch opined.
Though some finishing touches are still being applied, Lynch praised the dedication and hard work of the curators and groundsmen, as he declared the Oval is ready to host cricket matches.
“We are not boasting, but we are ready. We’re 95 per cent to 99 per cent ready,” he declared.
The infrastructural improvements to the Oval include upgrades to the bathroom facilities, the inclusion of a three-tier hospitality suite, upgrades to the media centre and the erection of a temporary stand with a 2,500 seating capacity.
Aside from the World Cup, Lynch pointed out that they are also engaging the local community through the KOMI Good Neighbor Programme. The programme focuses on involving residents from nearby areas, providing them with job opportunities related to the Oval’s upkeep.
“This isn’t just about the World Cup; it’s about an ongoing, sustainable programme,” Lynch said.
“We have walked every avenue in Pickwick Gap, gone house to house with the member of parliament, and engaged with the community directly,” he added.
Finally, there will be an open house on Wednesday, where Barbadians and visitors are invited to get a firsthand look on the upgraded Oval ahead of the World Cup. Gates will open at 1:00pm.
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