IPL auction: Uncapped batters Rizvi, Dubey hit paydirt after bidding wars

The second half of the IPL auction in Dubai threw up two surprises when uncapped Indian batters Sameer Rizvi and Shubham Dubey became big-money picks yesterday, 19 December.

The Chennai Super Kings shelled out Rs 8.5. crore for Rizvi, while the Rajasthan Royals paid 5.8 crore for Dubey.

It all stemmed from the two youngsters having impressed the scouts just ahead of the auction. Rizvi, who hails from Uttar Pradesh and is fondly referred to as the "right-handed Suresh Raina", piled up 455 runs—including two 100s—for the Kanpur Superstars in the inaugural edition of the UP T20 League.  

What probably earned Rizvi the moniker comparing him to two-time World Cup-winner Raina (once known as 'Mr IPL' himself) is his ability to hit the big sixes. Rizvi was among the top 10 six-hitters in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, with a strike rate of 139.89.

This seems to have been reason enough for CSK to get involved in a bidding war with the Gujarat Titans and the Delhi Capitals for Rizvi (who entered at a base price of Rs 20 lakh), but the Titans pulled out after the amount rose to Rs 7.6 crore.  

Dubey, who plays for Vidarbha, impressed everyone with his explosive batting performance at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored 221 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 187.28.

He played an integral role in Vidarbha’s record run chase against Bengal, where he came out to bat as an impact player. Chasing a target of 213, Dubey scored an unbeaten 58 off just 20 deliveries to clinch the encounter with 13 balls to spare. The innings, which had three fours and six maximums, surely garnered attention.  

The Delhi Capitals opened the bid for Dubey at his base price of 20 lakh—but then Rajasthan joined the fray too, and his price kept soaring until the Capitals pulled out.