Karn, Rishi strike it big at IPL auction

Little-known Railways all-rounder Karn Sharma hit the jackpot at the IPL players' auction, becoming the costliest buy among the uncapped players by fetching a startling Rs 3.75 crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Rishi Dhawan also fetched a stunning Rs 3 crore bid from Kings XI Punjab here today.
On a low-key second day of the auction, former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, who had surprisingly gone unsold on the opening day, finally found a buyer as Delhi Daredevils snapped him for his base price of Rs 2 crore.
However, stalwarts like former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels, Australian all-rounders Cameron White and David Hussey, and New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill were once again snubbed by the franchises despite being requested back into the auction pool after being unsold yesterday.

If Yuvraj Singh's 14-crore deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore yesterday stunned many, some of the bidding for uncapped players, included in the auction for the first time to prevent under-hand deals, was equally mind-boggling.
Among the big gainers today was Maharashtra batsman Kedar Jadhav who clinched a two-crore contract with Delhi Daredevils, a huge reward for his smashing form in the Ranji Trophy.
Jadhav, Ranji Trophy's top-scorer this season, went to Delhi Daredevils after intense bidding. Delhi, in fact, used the 'Right to Match' provision after he was initially taken by Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Jadhav was with the Royal Challengers Bangalore development squad to start with before being signed by Delhi Daredevils in 2010.

The 26-year-old Karn Sharma, named the under-25 Indian player of the Year last year, pipped better-known names such as Indian under-19 captain Unmukt Chand (Rs 65 lakh, Rajasthan Royals) to grab the biggest deal of the morning session.
The leg-spinning all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh had turned up for the same franchise last season as well, taking 11 wickets in 13 matches at a decent economy rate of 6.60.