Who is India's new MS Dhoni? Get to know about new Jharkhand's wicket-keeper batter of DC

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction ended on a massive note. The auction saw some players going for massive bids and there were some steal deals for the franchises. Mitchell Starc got the highest-ever bid in the auction history 24.75 crore INR for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Australian captain Pat Cummins was the second highest 20.50 crore INR to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). 

Some uncapped players also got some good bids from the franchises as well. Jharkhand's wicketkeeper-batter, Kumar Kushagra was one such name who got a bid of 7.20 crore INR from Delhi Capitals (DC). The right-handed batter, is known for his power-hitting and good technique caught the eye of the management, leading to an intense bidding tussle among franchises. The batter has been compared with former India captain MS Dhoni, who is a legend of the game. 

The batter came to light during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament earlier this year. He scored 111 runs in six matches for Jharkhand. His consistent performances across formats, including the Vijay Hazare Trophy, made him an obvious pick for the franchise. 

Kumar Kushagra rising superstar

Kumar Kushagra has 117 runs in 11 T20 matches at a rate of 117.64. He can play as per the requirement for the teams and his ability to both anchor and firepower the innings makes him a sensational young talent. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24, he scored 275 and 164 runs respectively, showing his ability to score runs as a top-order batter. The management was impressed with Batter and they said DC would have gone 10 crore INR to acquire his services. 

The batter being from Jharkhand was under the guidance of his father, Shashikant, who coached him at home. The fans expect to see another young talent from the eastern part of India coming up as MS Dhoni was also a young gun who became the successful captain for India.