"Ganguly told he would play for DC"- Kumar Kushagra’s father on his son going for ₹7.2 crore at IPL 2024 auction

Kumar Kushagra’s father, Shashikant, revealed that former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly promised that the Delhi Capitals (DC) would get his son at any cost during the IPL 2024 auction.

Kushagra was called up by the franchise earlier this year to their off-season camp for practice. During his time there, Ganguly, the director of cricket for DC, was highly impressed by Kushagra's glove work, which reminded him of MS Dhoni.

Hailing from Jharkhand, the 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter was acquired by DC for ₹7.20 crore after a bidding war with the Gujarat Titans.

Speaking to Indian Express, Shashikant recalled Ganguly's conversation with his son during the camp.

"After the trials at Eden (Gardens), Ganguly told Kushagra that he would play for the Delhi Capitals and the franchise would bid for him till ₹10 crore," Shashikant revealed. "At the trials, Ganguly was impressed with his six-hitting ability and ability to play the field. His keeping skills also impressed Ganguly and even told him that there is a bit of MS Dhoni in him when he whips the bails."

Kumar Kushagra has been on fire in white-ball cricket over the last 10 months. He produced impressive performances in the 2022-23 Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy earlier this year.

The teenage sensation scored 275 runs at an average of 68.75, a strike rate of almost 90 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The right-hander amassed 227 runs at an average of 56.75 and a strike rate of 109.13 in the Deodhar Trophy.

---

"One can only think about miracles, and today was that kind of day" - Shashikant

Kumar Kushagra and his family.

Shashikant admitted that he thought his son, Kumar Kushagra, would be sold at his base price of ₹20 Lakhs before the miraculous spike.

The 19-year-old boasts a solid batting technique with the ability to bat anywhere in the order, making him a valuable cricketer.

“I thought he will get picked by Capitals at base price. For a few minutes, I was so numb. One can only think about miracles, and today was that kind of day. He was confident because Ganguly had promised him, but I thought he must have said this to encourage him," Shashikant said.

Kumar Kushagra is yet to catch fire in the shortest format, with a T20 average of only 15.55 and a strike rate of 117.64 in 11 games.

He had a memorable Ranji Trophy debut season in 2021-22. He finished as Jharkhand's leading run-scorer with 439 runs at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 76.74 in four games.

In their pre-quarterfinals against Nagaland, Kushagra smashed an incredible 266 with 37 boundaries and two sixes, becoming the youngest player in first-class cricket history to score 250 at just 17 years and 141 days.