IPL 2018 Auction: 5 foreign cricketers with low base prices who fetched big money

1 Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer

A year or so ago, not many knew about this young all-rounder from Barbados, who had moved to England and was trying to become a T20 star.

However, 22-year-old Jofra Archer's recent show in the BBL for the Hobart Hurricanes made him one of the hottest properties in T20 cricket and it was no surprise that he ended up sparking one of the most incredible bidding wars in this year's IPL auctions. The reasons to go for him are compelling.

Archer can bowl at an express pace (90 miles per hour plus), has the variations, can bowl a mean bouncer and can send down superb yorkers. On the other hand, he is an outstanding fielder and a batsman, who can belt sixes when he needs to.

Archer had a base price of Rs. 40 lakhs but soon it became clear that he could go for anything, as Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab took his bidding price to Rs. 4.80 crores.

That is when Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the fray, and after Kings XI Punjab refused to go beyond Rs. 5.20 crores, it was Rajasthan Royals who replaced them. In the end, the Royals who seemed determined to get their man came in with the winning bid of Rs. 7.2 crores. He fetched 18 times more than his base price.