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New Zealand middle-order batter Daryl Mitchell revealed that watching the IPL 2024 auction with his family was a surreal experience. The right-hander admitted that his heart rate kept fluctuating as the paddles kept going up and down.
Mitchell's stocks have risen considerably after a stellar 2023 World Cup, establishing himself as the best No.4 in the tournament. The all-rounder aggregated 552 runs in 10 matches at 69 with 2 centuries, both of which came against India. Multiple franchises bid for him, but Chennai Super Kings won the bid at a staggering 14 crore.
Speaking after the auction, the 32-year-old claimed that it was satisfying to bag the price he did having gone unsold previously. As quoted by Stuff.co.nz, he said:
"It was obviously a pretty special night for us as a family, sitting here with my wife watching the whole auction. To see your name come up and then to go through that whole experience is definitely something that will stick with us for the rest of our lives. Your heart starts to pump a little bit, as you see the paddles going up. But having been through the auction before and going unsold, it was a pretty special night last night to experience that."
The all-rounder was part of Rajasthan Royals' camp in the 2022 edition but got only a couple of games. He managed only 33 runs as the Royals reached the final for the 2nd time in IPL history.
"They're the ones that are the reason why you do all this" - Daryl Mitchell on love for his family
The right-hander, who was focused on celebrating his daughter's birthday, suggested that such occasions bring families even more together. He added:
"She's got a pretty good present, waking up to that – not that she understands what's going on. But that's the whole thing about these sorts of situations – it helps set up your family in many ways so that they can grow up and enjoy the things they love. For me, that's the really cool thing about it. They're the ones that are the reason why you do all this."
The Hamilton-born cricketer will join his fellow Kiwi players Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner in the Super Kings camp in IPL 2024.
