IPL 2021 auction: Steve Smith keeps himself at highest base price bracket
292 players in final list for Mini Auction to be held in Chennai on February 18
Kolkata: Steve Smith, who led Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020 in the UAE before being released by his franchise, was among the 10 players who have chosen themselves to be placed at the highest reserve price of Rs 20 million in the upcoming Mini Auction for the 2021 season. A total of 292 cricketers, as per the final list released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, are set to go under the hammer in Chennai on February 18.
The seven overseas cricketers, apart from Smith, who have placed themselves in the top bracket are Glenn Maxwell, Shakib Al Hasan, Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy & Mark Wood. Interestingly, two of the veterans released by Chennai Super Kings - off spinner Harbhajan Singh and middle order batsman Kedar Jadhav - are the only two Indian cricketers who have placed themselves in the top bracket.
Altogether 12 players are in the auction list with a base price of Rs 15 million. Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav, meanwhile, are the two capped Indian players in the list of 11 cricketers with a base price of Rs 10 million.
A total of 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players and three players from Associate countries will be up for grabs in the Chennai auction. A total of 1114 cricketers had initially registered for the auction, and the final list was then pruned after the eight franchises submitted their shortlist of players.