Cricket: Batsman Devon Conway wins first IPL deal, as Stephen Fleming's Super Kings grab Blackcaps trio

  • 14/02/2022

Stephen Fleming's Chennai Super Kings have claimed three Blackcaps players on day two of the Indian Premier League auction in Bangalore.

The Fleming-coached Super Kings nabbed fast bowler Adam Milne and all-rounder Mitchell Santner for NZ$380,000, before handing batsman Devon Conway his first IPL deal for NZ$200,000.

A total of 10 New Zealand players have now earned contracts. Kane Williamson was the only NZ player retained by a franchise from last season, remaining with Sunrisers Hyderabad.

On day one, quicks Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult were the big winners from the Blackcaps ranks. Ferguson sold for NZ$2 million to newcomers Gujarat Titans, while Boult was picked by Rajasthan Royals for NZ$1.6m.

Other NZ players secured are Finn Allen (NZ$160,000,Royal Challengers Bangalore), James Neesham (NZ$300,000, Rajasthan Royals), Daryl Mitchell (NZ$150,000, Rajasthan Royals), Tim Southee (NZ$300,000, Kolkata Knight Riders), Tim Seifert (NZ$100,000, Delhi Capitals), and Glen Phillips (NZ$300,000, Sunrisers Hyderabad).

Among the big names not picked up were England's Eoin Morgan, and Australia's Steve Smith and Aaron Finch, who led Australia to their maiden Twenty20 World Cup win in the final against the Blackcaps last year.

The league's 10 franchises spent a combined $110 million to buy 204 players from among the 600 who had registered. 

Each team have a budget of $18 million, and can pick squads of up to 25 with a maximum of eight overseas players.

Local batsman Ishan Kishan was the most expensive player bought in the two-day action, after Mumbai forked out $NZ3m to keep him.

The 15th edition of the world's richest cricket league will begin in the last week of March with two new franchises - Lucknow and Ahmedabad - taking part.

South Africa's Chris Morris is the most expensive IPL player of all time, a $3.3m signing by Rajasthan last year.