Young Wellington Firebirds opener Finn Allen is one of 20 New Zealand cricketers who will go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League auction next week.
Wellington Firebirds opener Finn Allen leads the Super Smash with 496 runs at a strike-rate of 196.05. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Allen has made the final shortlist of 292 players, which was trimmed down from the 1,114 that registered for the auction.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakout season in New Zealand's Super Smash Twenty20 tournament, helping lead the Firebirds into Saturday's final at the Basin Reserve.
Allen leads the competition with 496 runs at a dazzling strike-rate of 196.05.
He has set his reserve at the base price of 20 lakh rupees ($38,080).
The majority of the New Zealanders, including Allen's Wellington teamates Devon Conway and Jimmy Neesham, are listed at 50 lakh ($95,200).
Kyle Jamieson will go under the hammer at the IPL auction after a breakout summer in the test arena. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Only Black Caps Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and former international Corey Anderson have set higher reserves.
They are all listed at 75 lakh ($142,800).
All 20 players are endeavouring to join Trent Boult, Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson in this year's IPL after they were retained by their franchises.
Eight overseas players and two Indian players have chosen to be slotted in the highest bracket of the auction with a price of two crore rupees ($380,800).
Australia's Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, England's Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy and Mark Wood and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan are in the bracket along with veteran Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav.
The final list also includes Arjun Tendulkar, son of Indian batting great Sachin, with the 21-year-old who played for Mumbai in the domestic Twenty20 championship listed as an all-rounder with a base price of 20 lakh.
- RNZ/Reuters