Jonathan Rongsen third most expensive player at KPL auction

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, July 27: Jonathan Rongsen, the captain of Nagaland cricket team, was bought for INR 6 lakh by the Bengaluru Blasters at the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) 2019 player auction on Saturday—making him the third most expensive player of this year’s KPL.

The two players placed above Rongsen at the auction were Pavan Deshpande (INR 7.30 lakh) and Aniruddha Joshi (INR 7.10 lakh). It was a day that saw those three players earn fatter contracts than players who have represented India in international matches like Karun Nair (INR 25,000) and Manish Pandey (INR 2 lakh).

Established IPL players like Shreyas Gopal missed out on a contract altogether, while Krishnappa Gowtham had to settle for an INR 1.9 lakh contract. The KPL is scheduled to start on August 15.

For Rongsen, this will be the first time in the colours of Bengaluru Blasters. In the previous KPL edition, he had represented the Shivamogga Lions.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror on Saturday, Rongsen said: “The heavier the price, the more responsibility I have to live up to the expectations of everyone.” The right-handed middle-order batsman assured that he would do whatever it takes to perform at his best.

Rongsen thanked the Nagaland Cricket Association (NCA) for its support and granting him leave to enable him to play in the KPL. “I am thankful to the NCA members for giving me time off from the team even though selections for the Ranji Trophy are taking place,” he said.

During last year’s Ranji Trophy, Rongsen became the first batsman in India’s premier domestic tournament to notch three centuries in consecutive innings, and six half-centuries on the trot.