IPL Mega Auction 2024: Faf Du Plessis Joins Delhi Capitals, KKR Secures Rovman Powell; Williamson and Shaw Go Unsold

The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction, held in Jeddah on Monday, delivered its share of surprises as franchises reconfigured their squads. South African veteran Faf du Plessis was picked up by Delhi Capitals (DC) for ₹2 crore, while Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) strengthened their power-hitting lineup by acquiring West Indies all-rounder Rovman Powell for ₹1.5 crore.

Faf du Plessis, a proven T20 stalwart, brings his wealth of experience to Delhi Capitals. The 40-year-old, who previously led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from 2022, boasts a stellar IPL career that includes successful stints with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG). With 1,636 runs in 45 matches for RCB at an average of 38.04 and a strike rate of nearly 147, he remains a consistent performer.

Overall, Du Plessis has amassed 10,950 runs in 393 T20 matches, including six centuries and 76 half-centuries. His inclusion adds both stability and firepower to the DC batting order.

Defending champions KKR bolstered their lineup by signing Rovman Powell, known for his explosive batting. Powell has been a key figure for the West Indies in T20Is, scoring 1,679 runs in 88 matches at a strike rate of 140.97, with one century and seven fifties.

In the IPL, Powell has previously played for Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, scoring 360 runs in 27 matches at a strike rate exceeding 147. KKR’s acquisition of Powell promises to enhance their already formidable batting lineup.

One of the major surprises of the auction was the unsold status of New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Glenn Phillips. Williamson, with 18,266 international runs and 45 centuries, has been a consistent performer in T20s. His IPL career includes 2,128 runs in 79 matches, highlighted by an Orange Cap-winning season in 2018, when he scored 735 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Glenn Phillips, a versatile player known for his batting, bowling, and fielding, also failed to attract any bids. With 3,262 runs and 49 wickets in 125 T20 matches, Phillips remains a dynamic player despite limited IPL appearances.

Indian stars Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane, and Prithvi Shaw also found no takers in this year’s auction. Mayank, who scored 2,661 runs in 127 IPL matches, including a century and 13 fifties, had previously been a key player for Punjab Kings and SRH. Rahane, who had a resurgence with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in recent years, remains one of the IPL’s top run-scorers with 4,642 runs in 185 matches. Shaw, known for his explosive starts, has tallied 1,892 runs in 79 matches for Delhi Capitals since his debut in 2018 but failed to attract interest this time.