Mark Wood and Jonny Bairstow are bought for more than £650,000 EACH in this year’s IPL auction – after it was delayed due to host Hugh Edmeades collapsing on stage
Mark Wood and Jonny Bairstow were bought for dizzying sums on a day when the Indian Premier League auctioneer collapsed due to light-headedness.
England fast bowler Wood will represent Lucknow Super Giants, one of two new franchises, after a bidding war which involved Delhi and Mumbai while his 2019 World Cup-winning colleague Jonny Bairstow was picked up by Punjab Kings.
The 31-year-old Wood, who opted out of last year’s competition to focus on England commitments, and Bairstow, who will accompany him on the three-Test tour of the Caribbean later this month, will earn £731,250 and £658,125 respectively for the 2022 season.
Mark Wood (left) and Jonny Bairstow (right) were bought for huge sums in the IPL auction
Wood will play for new side Lucknow Super Giants, who paid a whopping £731,250 for him
However, both were purchased in the knowledge that England’s multi-format players will miss the final week of the tournament ending on June 3 due to a clash with a home Test series against New Zealand.
The sales came either side of fellow Englishman Hugh Edmeades being forced to retire from duties on the opening day of the two-day mega auction in Bengaluru due to low blood pressure.
An early lunch was called after Edmeades’ turn for the worse – IPL officials later said it was due to postural hypotension – which came as Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga went under the hammer.
Jason Roy – Bairstow’s opening partner in one-day internationals – was the third purchase of the morning session, joining another new team in Gujarat Titans for £195,000.
Those who failed to attract bids like Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid and Australia batter Steve Smith will be placed back into today’s accelerated auction as the 10 franchises finalise their squads.
Jason Roy was the third purchase of the morning session, joining new team Gujarat Titans
The 2022 IPL auction was temporarily suspended as auctioneer Hugh Edmeades collapsed