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Steve Smith cops staggering snub in $100 million IPL auction frenzy

Sam Goodwin
·Sports Editor
·3-min read
Steve Smith, pictured here in action against Sri Lanka in the first T20.
Steve Smith (L) failed to attract a single bid on the first day of the IPL auction. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Steve Smith was the big loser as IPL franchises splashed the cash on a number of big-name Aussies in the inaugural $100 million auction on Saturday.

Josh Hazlewood was the big Aussie winner on the first day of the IPL auction, landing a $1.44m deal to join Virat Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The paceman was one of four Australian internationals to earn million-dollar deals on the first day in Bengalruru, with Pat Cummins, Mitch Marsh and David Warner also in the seven-figure club.

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Marsh and Warner, who previously played together at Sunrisers Hyderabad, will team up at the Ricky Ponting-coached Delhi Capitals, while Cummins has again been snapped up by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

However the big surprise was that Aussie vice-captain Smith went unsold.

The former Rajasthan Royals captain joined Matthew Wade and Adam Zampa in failing to attract a single bid at their opening price of $A372,000.

However they still could be snapped up by one of the 10 franchises when the auction resumes on Sunday.

Hazlewood hit the jackpot with his price tag being nearly four times as much as he scooped for Chennai last year, with five teams battling over his signature.

The paceman will join Glenn Maxwell at RCB, who was retained by the franchise last December.

Cummins didn't have to wait long for a hefty payday, but his price represented somewhat of a bargain for the Knight Riders - who paid around $A3.1 million for him at the IPL auction in 2020.

Cummins played seven games for KKR in 2021, taking nine wickets and scoring 93 runs.

However he didn't return for the second portion of the season after it was postponed due to Covid-19.

"We thought he would go higher, so very, very delighted with that," said KKR managing director Venky Mysore.

Pat Cummins, pictured here in action for Australia against Sri Lanka in the first T20 at the SCG.
Pat Cummins in action for Australia against Sri Lanka in the first T20 at the SCG. (Photo by MUHAMMAD FAROOQ/AFP via Getty Images) (MUHAMMAD FAROOQ via Getty Images)

David Warner and Mitch Marsh fetch million-dollar bids

Warner is headed to Delhi after being sold for $A1.16 million, a huge reduction on his $A2.38 million price from last year.

The aggressive opener struggled through the 2021 season with Hyderabad and was axed as captain midway through the tournament before being dropped from the side altogether.

Marsh also found himself a healthy $A1.2 million salary after his heroics in the T20 World Cup final.

However the biggest earner of the day was India's exciting 23-year-old batter Ishan Kishan, who was bought again by the Mumbai Indians for $A$2.83m.

The day's biggest drama emerged when British auctioneer Hugh Edmeades fell unconscious during the bidding.

An IPL statement said Edmeades fell "due to postural hypotension", or symptoms of low blood pressure.

"The medical team attended to him immediately after the incident and he is stable," the statement added.

The auction later resumed with Charu Sharma, an Indian sports commentator and quiz master, replacing Edmeades.

with AAP

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