Jhye Richardson, Australia pacer, who was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 14 crore at IPL 2021 auction, has said that the price tag was scary but life-changing at the same time.
Jhye Richardson, the 24-year-old Australian pacer, is set for his Punjab Kings and IPL debut on Monday. KL Rahul-led Punjab will face Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals in the 4th match of IPL 2021 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Jhye Richardson Watched The Auction In New Zealand But Doesn’t Worry About The Hefty Price Tag
Eyes will be on Jhye Richardson, who is famous for his lethal pace and now also his Rs 14 crore price tag which he got from Punjab Kings at the mini-auction held in February.
In an exclusive interview with Sports Today, Jhye Richardson has talked about the moment when he became the 14th edition’s fourth-costliest buy. The right-arm quick has said that the price tag was scary as well as life-changing for him. He added that he was not going to worry about the money invested in him as his sole focus will be on showcasing his skill in front of India.
“It’s quite scary. It did not hit me straight away. I was actually watching the auction in New Zealand, it was quite late at night. It probably did not hit me straight away. It’s a funny one because you know that it’s gonna change your life. It’s life-changing. I was overwhelmed by the fact that this is going to change my life. For me, it wasn’t a jump up and down and get a really exciting moment, it just did not hit me straight away and even now it’s hard to comprehend how much it is and how much it’s gonna influence my future.”
“That’s what we look like a cricketer, we have a front-end earning capacity and you know our career might live 5 or 10 years but to have something like this and have financial security post cricket is the biggest relief for me. Obviously the added pressure and the expectation, all the challenges we expect in cricket anyway. For me now it’s not to worry about the price tag, it to worry about my own execution and my won skills and show all of India what I am capable of.”
Jhye Richardson has played 2 Tests, 13 ODIs, and 14 T20Is for Australia so far. He has scalped 82 wickets from his 67 T20 matches.
Punjab Kings Strengths Are Batting Line-up And Pace Attack While Major Weakness Is Lack Of Quality Experienced Spinners
Punjab Kings have one of the strongest batting line-ups this season. They have a dangerous opening pairing in skipper KL Rahul, who won the ‘Orange Cap’ last season, and the ever-reliable Mayank Agarwal. Universe Boss Chris Gayle, who hammered 288 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 137.14 last year, is expected to start from game one this time after warming the bench in the initial part of the 2020 edition.
Flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran’s inclusion makes a top order to envy. They have also roped in the services of the world’s number one T20 batsman Dawid Malan, seen as Chris Gayle’s backup. After Glenn Maxwell’s expected departure, the middle-order has been strengthened with the arrival of all-rounder Moises Henriques and Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan.
Deepak Hooda is experienced enough to play the role of the finisher. In Fabian Allen, Punjab Kings have another overseas all-rounder option.
The pace attack has been boosted by the signing of Australian speedsters Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith, who had a sensational Big Bash campaign. Alongside Mohammed Shami and England’s Chris Jordan, the quartet makes a formidable fast bowling unit.
Punjab Kings’ biggest weakness is the lack of quality spinners. They released off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham, who ended up becoming the most expensive uncapped player ever at the latest auction. The likes of Murugan Ashwin and young Ravi Bishnoi, who impressed last season, will be expected to deliver.
They have added spin all-rounder Jalaj Saxena, who is a highly experienced domestic player and picked up 10 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an excellent economy rate of 6.26. But with no proven internationally successful players in the spin department, it remains the weakest link. The team also doesn’t have another India pacer of the caliber of Mohammed Shami.
Punjab Kings Probable XI: KL Rahul (c & wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Jhye Richardson, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh