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Watch: Here's why KXIP paid Rs 4 crore to 16-year-old Afghan mystery spinner Mujeeb Zadran

16-year-old Mujeeb Zadran from Afghanistan will have a lot to celebrate even after his brilliant bowling performance in the U-19 World Cup that brought his side to the semifinals.

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16-year-old Mujeeb Zadran from Afghanistan will have a lot to celebrate even after his brilliant bowling performance in the U-19 World Cup that brought his side to the semifinals.

Mujeeb, from what batsman say, is a ‘complete spinner’. He can bowl offbreaks, legbreaks, the wrong ‘un, the carom ball and other variants you want.

Starting at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, Mujeeb’s rose initially to Rs 2 crore. Then Kings XI Punjab raised it to Rs 3.6 crore, prompting Delhi Daredevils to raise the stake to Rs 3.8 crore. Punjab then scaled it up to Rs 4 crore and the 16-year-old signed a contract that changed his life forever.

Born in 2001, Mujeeb is the first international cricketer who was born in this century to play for his national side when he made his debut against Ireland. He made waves taking 4/24 in a matchwinning effort.

In 2017, representing the U-19, Mujeeb took 7 for 19 against Bangladesh ensuring his team managed to defend a paltry total of 133. His performance earned him a contract with Comilla Victorians in the Bangladesh Premier League.

In the Under-19 Asia Cup the following month, Mujeeb took 5 for 13 to dismantle Pakistan in the final at Kuala Lumpur. In the ongoing World Cup on Thursday, he took 4 for 14 in another matchwinning effort, this time against hosts New Zealand. One unique thing about his bowling is that he gets turn with the new ball, something most spinners struggle with.

Along with Mujeeb, three others – Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Zahir Khan – have so far been snapped up by various teams.

Earlier, after hectic bidding, frantic phone calls, and occasional chiding from the auctioneer, the eight teams are all stacked up ready to take part in the biggest domestic cricket league of the world. From bizarre to business-like decisions, from emotional buying to curt rejections of old favourites, we witnessed everything during the sale of 170 players who alongside 17 pre-retained stars will take part in IPL 11.

In the final analysis, RCB, SRH, CSK, MI and DD managed to build formidable units. RR and KXIP showed lot of intent but missed out some key tricks. KKR was the clear under-performer in the auction and while cricket is a funny game, it would be extremely difficult for SRK's unit to be competitive..

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