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In the very first game of the IPL 2021, Royal Challengers Bangalore's Harshal Patel made an impact with his 5/27 spell against the Mumbai Indians. Riding on his effort, RCB won the game by two wickets.
Harshal Patel has been a proven performer at the domestic level and has also featured in the IPL in the past.
Patel made his IPL debut in 2012 with the Royal Challengers. Having moved to the Delhi franchise in 2018, he was traded back to his original team this season. His performance to kick things off proved invaluable for the Virat Kohli-led side.
The IPL is often described as a big-money league where millions are splurged over players. But pre-tournament bids don't always have a perfect correlation with in-tournament performance.
While you might find some high-priced stars floundering in the tournament, some relatively unknown players shine and set the league on fire.
Patel, an exponent of the latter category, was transferred for his base price of Rs. 20 lakhs.
Several players have been purchased for their base prices this year. Some of them have a splendid domestic record. One can only speculate if any of them will have a breakout season in 2021. But a lot of them have the talent to make it work for them.
We take a look at 4 promising talents who have been purchased at their base price in IPL 2021.
1. Mohammad Azharuddeen (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Mohammad Azharuddeen shares more than just his name with the former Indian legend. The Kerala batsman has a modest record in first-class and List A cricket. However, he has been spot on as a keeper-batsman in T20 cricket.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year, Azharuddeen slammed a 37-ball hundred against Mumbai to help Kerala chase down a target of 197 in 95 balls. He outperformed the likes of Robin Uthappa and Sanju Samson at the other end.
Azharuddeen scored 214 runs in that tournament at a strike rate of 195, which eventually earned him a place in the RCB squad.
2. Saurabh Kumar (Punjab Kings)
Saurabh Kumar has been a domestic stalwart for years. The Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner has 192 first-class wickets to his name at an average of 23.44. He was part of the Rising Pune Super Giants squad in earlier editions of the IPL. However, he hadn't received a contract in recent times until the Punjab Kings roped him in this season.
Kumar has had limited opportunities in the T20 format so far and will look to make the most of this opening if he gets a game or two under his belt in IPL 2021.
3. Vishnu Vinod (Delhi Capitals)
Vishnu Vinod, a wicket-keeper from Kerala, was picked at his base price by the Delhi Capitals at this year's IPL auction. He showed some decent form in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. In addition to keeping the wickets, he can also bat up the order which makes him a good back-up option for Rishabh Pant.
Vinod had earlier been a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad and played 3 matches for them. He'll find it tough to break into the playing XI of the Delhi Capitals lineup this year but must bide his time.
4. Venkatesh Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Venkatesh Iyer has a batting average of 36.2 in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 137.64. He also has 21 wickets at an economy rate under 7. His all-round ability makes him an exciting prospect at this year's IPL.
Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, Iyer showed his skills against Punjab in a Vijay Hazare trophy encounter, where he scored 198 runs and later returned to pick up two wickets to take the fizz out of Punjab's chase.
He had some fruitful outings in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy as well, wherein he both scored runs at the top and got crucial breakthroughs for his team.
He is a rare bowler who opens the innings for his domestic side. He was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for this year's IPL. If he maintains his form, he will remain an attractive option for future seasons as well.
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