BENGALURU: Krishnappa Gowtham was 'nervous' when his name was called in the IPL auction while watching it live on a TV at a hotel room in Ahmedabad on Thursday. It grew manifold when the teams started a bidding war for him. The Karnataka off-spinner, whose base price was Rs 20 lakh, was eventually snapped up by Chennai Super Kings, for a staggering Rs 9.25 crores.
Apparently, he was on the wishlist of the three-time champions. CSK skipper MS Dhoni was seen chatting with him on the field during the IPL on a couple of occasions in the past. And now, the 32-year-old Gowtham will be sharing the dressing room with the former India captain.
No wonder, he is excited to be part of the team. "It is, of course, a dream come true for me to play under him (Dhoni)," Gowtham told TNIE. On Thursday, he also became the most expensive uncapped Indian player in the IPL. "I did not have any such kind of a price tag in my mind. I was just fortunate that I have been picked for a high amount."
Gowtham was in high demand as he sparked a bidding war between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Chennai entered the fray only when his price rose to Rs 7.75 cr. With several teams eager to spend big on him, it just goes on to show how much they value him at this level.
He also brings in that experience of bowling in Indian conditions, which will make him a valuable asset in Dhoni's unit. Besides being a number one spinner of Karnataka, he is also known to play match-winning knocks with the bat lower down the order. All these factors must have led teams to go all out for him.
"I am very happy that the domestic performance is also looked. They must have also seen the all-round ability in me," said Gowtham, who is currently with the Indian team as a net bowler for the England Test series.
Gowtham is not new to the IPL as he had played for Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab in the past. With just 186 runs and 13 wickets from 24 matches, he might not have fulfilled his potential. But with Dhoni at the helm, one can expect him to flourish and justify his talent.