IPL 2022 Auction: Punjab Win Intense Bidding War With SRH to Get Odean Smith

Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan were among Odean Smith's wickets in the two ODIs against India.

Odean Smith in action in Ahmedabad

Image: BCCI

Odean Smith had a base price of Rs 1 crore and was picked up by Punjab Kings for Rs 6 crore.

Punjab started the bidding with Lucknow joining in as well soon, with both teams keen not to overspend either. Soon enough the numbers doubled for Smith, who would have been watching on from his hotel room as the West Indies are in India for a white-ball tour. Hyderabad too joined into the mix for Smith to rival Lucknow and Punjab. At Rs 3.80 crore, Rajasthan too jumped on to the bandwagon. Punjab and SRH were in an intense battle for Smith, with Ness Wadia and co bringing him home for Rs 6 crore.

"Erratic but dramatic," said Charu Sharma while describing the bidding war when it was on.

While the West Indies are having a terrible tour of India and have lost the ODI series 3-0, Odean Smith was one of the brighter prospects for the visitors.

Smith played a flurry of big shots during two cameo knocks in the final two ODIs and also picked big wickets in the two games. Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan were among his wickets in the two games.

Smith, especially in the third game, displayed the ability to clear the ropes with relative ease, batting lower down the order. With a strike rate of 130 and above as a batter and 43 wickets in 41 games in T20 cricket, Smith is a relative newcomer and would have been a late spot ahead of the Auction for quite a few people.