Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction value of a player is not the true reflection of his calibre.
Sharing his views on the recent IPL auctions, Ganguly said IPL price of a cricketer depended on his demand.
“You cannot judge players based on the IPL money. Hashim Amla went unsold. He has 54 (international) centuries. Ishan Kishan has got ₹6.2 crore playing only Ranji Trophy. So the IPL is not the yardstick to judge any player’s value,” said Ganguly, at the launch of the 20th edition of Shelly’s Cricket Year Book, compiled by seasoned sports journalist Debasish Datta, here on Wednesday.
“IPL has no rationale, it is supply and demand. Jaydev Unadkat (who has played one Test, seven ODIs and four T20Is and purchased by Rajasthan Royals for ₹11.5 crore) is the highest paid Indian player.”
An accident
Asked whether the South African strategy against India backfired due to the extra bounce of the Wanderers pitch in the third Test, Ganguly said, “Maybe. But in South Africa you don’t get such pitches. I have played five-six times there and I think it was an accident. In future, it won’t happen.
“When India won the toss, I thought they would win. I knew the more time will pass, the pitch will get worse. The same thing happened in 2006. We won the toss, batted first and we won.”
Ganguly showered praise on India captain Virat Kohli for his excellent showing in South Africa. “He is remarkable. He is one of the best in the world at the moment.”
About India’s upcoming one-day series in South Africa, Ganguly said, “It’s 50-50 now after India’s Jo’burg Test win. It won’t be easy in South African conditions. The advantage is that A.B. de Villiers is not there (for the first three matches). He is a huge name. Virat has to score runs for India to win the series.”
Ganguly was upbeat about India’s chances against Australia in the under-19 World Cup final on Saturday. “India will win the under-19 World Cup. Shubman Gill, (Kamlesh) Nagarkoti, (Shivam) Mavi, Ishan Porel are all exceptional talent.
“The Indian cricket system is so good that the structure has been made and without structure you cannot produce cricketers. These players are products of the Indian cricket structure. In the next five years, Indian cricket, save Australia and England, will be the best in the world.
“I hope they win under Rahul (Dravid). They won convincingly in every game. They beat Australia by more than 100 runs and hope they do it in the final also,” said Ganguly.
