Dubai: In one of the biggest surprises of the inaugural ILT20 Auction, India's senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin failed to attract a bid on Thursday despite entering with the highest base price of USD 120,000. The veteran off-spinner's name drew no takers, overshadowing even the record signing of the day.
While Ashwin's omission raised eyebrows across cricketing circles, West Indies opener Andre Fletcher emerged as the headline act. MI Emirates splurged USD 260,000 to secure him for a fourth successive season, making him the most expensive player of the auction.
England’s Scott Currie nearly matched Fletcher’s price, fetching USD 250,000 from Dubai Capitals. Gulf Giants showed faith in England all-rounder Liam Dawson, spending USD 170,000, while Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq joined Fletcher at MI Emirates for USD 100,000.
The auction also marked a breakthrough for UAE cricketers. Sharjah Warriorz used their Right-to-Match card to retain pacer Junaid Siddique for USD 170,000, their costliest buy. MI Emirates triggered another RTM to rope in Muhammad Rohid for USD 140,000, underlining the rise of local players on the global stage.
Among overseas signings, Desert Vipers picked Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah at their base price of USD 80,000 each. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders went for Scotland’s Brandon McMullen at USD 110,000, alongside Michael Pepper, George Garton and Unmukt Chand. In a historic moment, Faisal Khan became the first Saudi Arabian player to be drafted into the league, joining Desert Vipers for USD 10,000.
Teams rounded off their squads with tactical buys. Gulf Giants added Tabraiz Shamsi, Fred Klaassen and Chris Wood to their bowling depth, while MI Emirates bolstered their ranks with Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (USD 40,000) and England all-rounder Jordan Thompson (USD 48,000). Sharjah Warriorz, meanwhile, strengthened with Dwaine Pretorius (USD 120,000), Nathan Sowter (USD 100,000), Jayden Seales and Taskin Ahmed.
Season 4 of the ILT20 begins on December 2 and will feature six teams across 34 matches until January 4.
