Liton, Shakib picked by KKR at IPL auction

Bangladesh opener Liton Das and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan were bought by Kolkata Knight Riders during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Kochi on Friday ahead of the 2023 season. 

Both Shakib and Liton were acquired by Kolkata for their base prices of rupees 50 lac and 1.5 crores, respectively, after they remained unsold initially. Kolkata were also the only bidder for Liton and Shakib. 

After being overlooked in the auction of the previous edition of the money-spinning franchise-based league, Shakib returned to KKR and will be joined by teammate Liton, who has been picked by an IPL franchise for the very first time. 

This edition of the IPL will feature three Bangladeshis for the first time ever with pacer Mustafizur Rahman already being retained by Delhi Capitals earlier. 

Liton became only the seventh Bangladeshi to be picked by an IPL side after Mohammad Ashraful, Abdur Razzak, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, and Mustafizur. 

Aside from Liton and Shakib, pacer Taskin Ahmed also went under the hammer in this auction, but there were no takers for the tall pacer. 

The franchises were not eager to bid for Taskin, who had a base price of 50 lac rupees. A total of four Bangladeshi players were named in the IPL auction among the 405 cricketers. Afif Hossain, also drafted at 50 lakh rupees base price category, did not go under the hammer.