Karnataka all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham, who is currently a net bowler with the Indian team, is finding it difficult to control his emotions after fetching a mind-boggling ₹9.25 crore deal with Chennai Super Kings which left his parents and wife overwhelmed by tears of joy. After a bidding war at the IPL auction in Chennai on Thursday, Gowtham was bought by CSK, his price surpassing that of Krunal Pandya’s then-record of ₹8.8 crores by the Mumbai Indians in 2018 for an uncapped player.
During a recent conversation with ESPNCricinfo, Krishnappa Gowtham said, “It was nerve-wracking, I was very anxious, watching on TV. We’d just landed in Ahmedabad and I’d just switched on TV and my name came up. Emotions were changing every minute. Then, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya knocked on my door and gave me a big hug and they asked for a big treat.”
Gowtham’s base price was ₹20 lakh, and quickly triggered a fierce bidding war between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, before CSK swooped in with a late bid. The 32-year-old off-spin all-rounder from Karnataka has modest IPL statistics. He has played just 24 games in IPL since 2018 and has scored 186 runs and taken 13 wickets.
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Talking about the excitement to play for CSK, Krishnappa Gowtham said, “My parents had tears, happy tears. They were all so happy for me. It’s hard to describe that feeling. It”s all just sinking in. Obviously this isn’t the first time I’ve been part of the auction but every time your name comes up, the kind of butterflies in your tummy is unimaginable.”
Dream come true! The words mean it all! See you soon in #Yellove @gowthamyadav88! #WhistlePodu 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/IIPzq6VJLZ
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) February 18, 2021
Gowtham, an India A regular, will be playing under the captaincy of MS Dhoni at the CSK and he remembers queuing up with a few other uncapped players to get his bat signed by the legendary wicket-keeper batsman after an IPL game in 2018.
Elaborating the same, Gowtham said, “The first time I met him, I asked MS what I needed to do to take my game to the next level. It was a fanboy moment. After that, I’ve managed to chat with him a couple of times, haven’t really had long chats, they have just been short and simple. I’m waiting to now join the set-up and have many fruitful conversations with him. It’s an exciting feeling to play for CSK.”
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He further elaborated, “It was tough sitting out, yes there weren’t too many opportunities, but I tried to make the most of my time. I worked on my fitness, worked hard on improving my skills in the nets, and making the most of learning from Anil Kumble and other senior coaches so that I could be ready whenever the opportunities come. Keep giving your best. Every day is a new opportunity. Day by day, keep getting better. It’s just that simple.”
