Black Cap Trent Boult focused after million-dollar IPL bidding war
Black Caps pace bowler Trent Boult's focus is remaining squarely on Wednesday's second ODI against South Africa despite being snapped up for a sizeable sum at the Indian Premier League auction.
Boult was the subject of an early bidding war at Monday's auction, eventually being secured by the Kolkata Knight Riders for $NZ1.04 million.
It was the fourth-highest price for any player at the auction in Bangalore and the second-most paid for a Kiwi in the history of the lucrative IPL Twenty20 league.
The most for a New Zealander was $1.56m for Brendon McCullum in 2015 from his current team, the Gujarat Lions.
"It was pretty surreal, to be honest," Boult said on Tuesday.
"To see the name come through with a figure like that next to it is pretty unbelievable.
"It's a huge honour in a way, but obviously my focus is still concentrated on what's out there tomorrow."
Trent Boult. Photo: Getty
The Black Caps are looking to bounce back from a narrow four-wicket loss to South Africa in a rain-affected first match in Hamilton on Sunday.
Boult says he's looking at his signing as a chance to expand his skill set.
"I'm looking forward to rubbing shoulders with a few more international players, getting the chance to learn, and obviously trying to grow my game in those sub continent conditions."
Former Black Caps skipper McCullum is one of five New Zealanders who already held rolled-over IPL contracts, along with current national captain Kane Williamson (Sunrisers), Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan (Mumbai) and Adam Milne (Bangalore).
They will be joined by 27-year-old left-armer Boult, Corey Anderson, Matt Henry and Martin Guptill and pace bowler Lockie Ferguson
Allrounder Anderson was snared by the Delhi Daredevils for his reserve price of $208,000 while seamer Henry also went in the first round of the auction, to Kings XI Punjab for $104,000.
No other Kiwis were bid for in the first round although opening batsman Guptill ($104,000 to Punjab) and pace bowler Lockie Ferguson ($104,000 to Rising Pune Supergiants) won contracts in the second round.
Fourteen New Zealanders failed to attract a bid.
That includes former skipper Ross Taylor and other well-performed limited overs players such as Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi and Jesse Ryder.
Corey Anderson. Photo: Getty
The fickle nature of the auction was underlined when South African legspinner Imran Tahir - ranked the world's best ODI and T20 bowler - went unsold.
New Zealand-born English allrounder Ben Stokes fetched the highest price ever paid for an overseas player at the auction.
Pune's New Zealand coach Stephen Fleming shelled out $3.02m for the allrounder, even though Stokes will probably miss the knockout stage of the tournament for England's tour of South Africa.
Another Kiwi coach, Daniel Vettori, paid $2.5m for English pace bowler Tymal Mills to join Royal Challengers Bangalore. Mills impressed in domestic T20 cricket for Auckland this summer.
The 10th edition of the league runs from April 5 to May 21.
– With NZN
