IPL 2024 Auction: Meet Kumar Kushagra, uncapped wicketkeeper-batter who was acquired by Delhi Capitals for Rs 7.20 crore

Uncapped wicketkeeper batter Kumar Kushagra went onto bag big bucks at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction in Dubai, being acquired by Delhi Capitals (DC) for Rs 7.20 crore. Having a base price of Rs 20 lakh, Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) initially began the bidding war before Delhi Capitals joined in at the Rs 70 lakh mark. DC would engage in a duel with GT for Kumar Kushagra, before eventually acquiring his services.

Kumar became the third most expensive uncapped player in IPL 2024 auction, after Sameer Rizvi (Rs 8.40 crore) and Shahrukh Khan (Rs 7.40 crore).

Who is Kumar Kushagra?

Kumar Kushagra is a 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter who plays for Jharkhand in domestic cricket. During the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy season, Kumar went onto amass 266 against Nagaland, becoming the youngest batter to score 250 runs or more in the history of Ranji Trophy.

In the Deodhar Trophy earlier this year, Kumar scored 227 runs from five innings at a strike-rate of 109.33, becoming the sixth highest run-getter in the tournament.

During the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kumar amassed 67 off just 37 balls against Maharashtra, helping his team chase down a target of 355.

Kumar Kushagra also featured for India in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2020 in South Africa, where India lost to Bangladesh in the final.