The auction saw 57 players getting picked from the pool of 298 before the start of the cash-rich tournament in the month of April.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has begun and many newcomers who were purchased at the mini-auction have already my debut in the 2021 season one being Rajasthan Royals (RR) Chetan Sakariya.
Total 130 players went under the hammer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 Auction, out of which 73 players remained unsold. The auction saw 57 players getting picked from the pool of 298 before the start of the cash-rich tournament in the month of April.
From breaking the record of being the most expensive player in the history of the auction to one of the captains of an international side not finding any takers, the 2021 IPL player auction saw it all. While the bowlers and the all-rounders were in huge demand, the batsmen had an off day, either they went for their base prices or were not even picked.
So who is Chetan Sakariya and what is his story.
1. Who is Chetan Sakariya?
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Chetan Sakariya, the son of a tempo driver became the newest addition to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) camp as he was purchased for Rs 1.2 crore.
The 22-year-old is a left-arm pacer who represents Saurashtra in domestic competitions. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season saw a lot of domestic cricketers make it to the IPL auctions.
Chetan Sakariya had given his time at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) nets as well last season. He impressed all with 12 wickets in five matches.
2. Chetan Sakariya's family
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While making progress on the field, a big tragedy had struck the Sakariya family in January 2021. Rahul, Chetan's younger brother, had died by suicide.
"I was playing in the tournament when it happened. Nobody informed me about it. Whenever I enquired about him, they gave me excuses," Chetan, told The Indian Express.
"He was working with my uncle. We still don't know the reasons but I hope he stays happy where ever he is," added Chetan.
"I wasn't at home, I was playing Syed Mushtaq Ali at that time. I didn’t know he had passed away until I returned home. Even then, my family didn’t share the news with me. I used to ask them about Rahul’s whereabouts and they would tell me 'he has gone out'.
"Sometimes, they would say he had ventured out to buy groceries. This absence is a big void for me. Had he been here today he would have been happier than me."
3. Future plans of Chetan Sakariya
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Chetan Sakariya had travelled to the UAE last season with the RCB squad as a net bowler. So now after being purchased by RR, the first thing on his to-do list is to buy a house in a good locality.
"I never wanted him (father) to work, I told him, I will take care of my family. People are asking me, what I will do with so much money, I said, let the money come first. I always wanted to shift to Rajkot, somehow I didn't have decent money to buy a good house. Now, the first thing I will do is buy a house in a good locality," he said.
4. Rajasthan Royals' purchase at IPL Auction 2021
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Rajasthan Royals will be beginning their new era under Sanju Samson as they left out Steve Smith before the auction.
New Additions: Chris Morris (highest purchased cricketer in IPL history), Shivam Dube, Liam Livingstone, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, Akash Singh, KC Cariappa, Kuldip Yadav.
5. Rajasthan Royals full squad
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Indian players: Sanju Samson, Manan Vohra, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Mahipal Lomror, Mayank Markande, Rahul Tewatia, Jaydev Unadkat, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, Kartik Tyagi.
Overseas: Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, David Miller, Andrew Tye
New Additions: Chris Morris, Shivam Dube, Liam Livingstone, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, Akash Singh, KC Cariappa, Kuldip Yadav
