Who is DC’s New Recruit Kumar Kushagra? Here’s why DC invested 7.2 crore on uncapped Wicket-keeper at IPL 2024 Auction

The auction of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. It had some incredible deals that broke all the records. Australian ace pacer Mitchell Starc went on to become the most expensive player after getting signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders for a price of INR 24.75 crore. Harshal Patel became the costliest Indian player at the IPL 2024 auction. He fetched INR 11.75 crore from the Punjab Kings.Then there were a few uncapped Indian stars that set the auction on fire. Sameer Rizvi (8.4 crore) and Shubham Dubey (5.8 crore) bagged big deals. Then it was Kumar Kushagra, who was bought by the Delhi Capitals for a price of INR 7.2 crore. A number of IPL franchises were interested in him, and finally DC signed him. But what is the reason that teams wanted to have him on their side?

Who is Kumar Kushagra?

Hail from Bokaro, Jharkhand, is a revolution at the domestic level. He is a regular keeper for Jharkhand in the absence of Ishan Kishan, who is normally with the Indian cricket team. As soon as Kumar’s name came out, a few IPL franchises showed their interest in him. He caught the attention of many when he helped Jharkhand chase a record total of 355 against Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

He came out to bat at No. 6 and scored a quick 67 off 36 balls. That innings established him as a brilliant finisher. He was also part of the trials for the Delhi Capitals, and when Sourav Ganguly saw him at the nets, he promised him that DC would go after him at the auction, and that’s what happened in the end.

According to a few cricket pundits, there is a resemblance to MS Dhoni in him. Hence, the 19-year-old got the reward for his consistency. Kumar is known for playing big innings with a healthy strike rate. He can hit big sixes, as seen in the video above. He will certainly look for an impressive debut IPL season in 2024.