"Humble and excited at the same time" - Sikandar Raza reflects on his maiden IPL deal

Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza claimed his wish of being part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has finally come true after striking a maiden deal on Friday's auction. Raza has also narrated how nervous he was during the auction.

The veteran cricketer will be one of the few cricketers from Zimbabwe to be part of the IPL after the Punjab Kings signed him up for a base price of INR 50 lakhs. The 36-year-old continuing his positive streak after soaring high in the 2022 T20 World Cup with his all-round performances.

Following the auction from Kathmandu, Raza revealed that his internet had disconnected during his bidding and was confused by all the congratulatory messages when it was back on. He told ESPN Cricinfo,

"Alhamdulillah it has happened. I am really happy, humble and excited at the same time. I would have been fine with any franchise but to have a Punjabi munda in Punjab, it is a great match. I was in training today. I was calm. Sometimes I was nervous."

He added,

"I went through all the emotions before the auction. We went back to the hotel. Then there was an anti-corruption meeting. When it was my turn at the IPL auction, I was moving from one room to another, and the internet got disconnected."

The spin-bowling all-rounder continued,

"While it was connecting back again, I started getting a lot of messages from my friends, congratulating me. I said, 'what, I can't see it. Are you guys playing a prank?' They said check the auction. I said I am checking but I haven't even been up there. What happened was, by the time I reconnected, I had gone already. So basically I didn't see the bid."

It has been a stellar 2022 for the Pakistan-born cricketer, having played central roles in Zimbabwe's famous moments as they beat Bangladesh in ODI and T20I series'. He scored a century against India, followed by Zimbabwe securing a win against Australia in their backyard.

The right-handed batter was also part of Zimbabwe's T20 World Cup squad as they beat Pakistan in a dramatic fashion.

"It has been life and career changing" - Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza celebrates a wicket. (Credits: Getty)

Reflecting on such moments, Raza stated that his mother has been critical to his success and that he always dedicates to her all his trophies. He said,

"It has been incredible. It has been life and career changing. Every time I have won a Player-of-the-Match trophy, I kiss my mum's hand and give her the trophy. The best part of these few months is that I have handed her over a lot of trophies. I think the trophy cabinet is full now."

It is yet to be seen where his place in the Punjab Kings line-up will be. With the Kings having other overseas players to accomodate to as well, Raza could struggle to find a place in the starting eleven.