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Sunil Gavaskar Backs India Legend, Who Retired In 1975, To Fetch Rs 27 Crore In IPL Auction

Sunil Gavaskar Backs India Legend, Who Retired In 1975, To Fetch Rs 27 Crore In IPL Auction

NDTV6 days ago
India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant scripted history in the Indian Premier League last year after being bought for a massive sum of Rs 27 crore by Lucknow Super Giants in the auction held in November. He became the costliest player ever in the history of the tournament. While heaping praises on Farokh Engineer, Sunil Gavaskar claimed that the former India wicketkeeper-batter too would have got a similar amount had he been playing IPL. Gavaskar said it while doing commentatory during the India vs England 4th Test at Old Trafford, Manchester.
"How much did Rishabh Pant go for (in IPL auction)? I think he'd go for something similar," said Gavaskar on Sony Sports as quoted by Sportskeeda.
Farokh Engineer and legendary West Indies captain Clive Lloyd were on Wednesday honoured by the Lancashire County Cricket Club with stands named after them at the Old Trafford Stadium, on the opening day of the fourth Test between India and England.
Engineer, who represented Lancashire from 1968 to 1976, played 175 matches, amassing 5,942 runs, 429 catches, and 35 stumpings.
His arrival marked a turning point for the club, helping them win the Gillette Cup four times between 1970 and 1975 after a 15-year title drought.
Despite his deep ties to Indian cricket, including the memorable outings he had at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium, Engineer surprisingly does not have a stand named after him there.
Lloyd, a two-time World Cup-winning captain, joined Lancashire in the early 1970s as an overseas player. Lloyd's two-decade-long association with the club was transformational as he played a crucial role in reshaping Lancashire's cricketing fortunes.
The gesture immortalises the contributions made by both Engineer and Lloyd to the county, celebrating their legacies in English domestic cricket.
Engineer, now 87, has made Manchester his home post-retirement and continues to reside there.
Talking about Pant, the wicketkeeper-batter is one of the most important players in the Indian cricket Test team. He has also shone with his performance in IPL.
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