×

IPL Auction 2017: Tymal Mills thanks injury for huge IPL contract

Sussex and England speedster, Tymal Mills has found himself to be the second- most expensive player with an INR 12 crore bid, won by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and for that matter, Mills is surprisingly staying calm.

Tymal Mills was sold for INR 12 Cr to RCB © AFP
Tymal Mills was sold for INR 12 Cr to RCB © AFP

The auctions of the  10th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) saw some of the most popular overseas players creating frenzy amongst the franchises with each one hoping to bid for the best. One of those players is the Sussex and England speedster, Tymal Mills, who has found himself to be the second-most expensive player of the tournament with INR 12 crore bid won by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The staggering amount is 24 times more than his base price, and for that matter, Mills is surprisingly staying calm. DD Auction Review: Problem of plenty for Zaheer Khan’s men

Speaking to Charles Reynolds from ESPNcricinfo from Dubai, where he currently is for the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Mills said it was a pretty amazing day as he certainly  did not expect it to go as it did. “I was looking forward to it and got up and watched it on TV in the morning and my phone hasn’t really stopped going since! It’s been pretty special and now I’m just looking forward to getting out there.”

Mills had spoken before on entering this year’s IPL auctions with a relatively low base price as he wanted to exercise the time he had before the English T20 starts in July. He was also in talks with his agent to land a possible contract. However he says he cannot believe at the way things turned out. “I had a chat with my agent and he had been speaking to the different owners and coaches so we knew there was some interest,” he says. “But in terms of expectations of how much money I’d go for, I would never have dreamt to go for as much as I have. It was a pretty crazy experience to watch it.” RPS Auction review: Sans Dhoni’s leadership, daunting pressure on Smith

Times have definitely changed for Mills who  had to undergo congenital back surgery shortly after his move to Sussex in 2015, which risked his life as a cricketer. Not to be defeated, he started playing as a T20 specialist to stand today as the most expensive bowler in the history of IPL. Thanking his back injury for the same, he credits it with changing his focus to  playing T20 and accelerating his form in the game.

Mills has been known for combining express pace with a superb slower ball. With Bangalore being described as a ‘T20 batsman’s paradise’, Mills is ready to go for a few runs. However the player says he is ready to change games for RCB. “Whether that be with wickets or restriction of runs bowling at the death, you’ve just got to take each game day by day and just enjoy it and back yourself to come out on top more often than not.

Being a T20 specialist, Mills has garnered some serious stints in the international circuit. Before playing for the Quetta Gladiators in PSL, he has played in leagues around Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia and the two games   for Brisbane Heat which might be the probable reason for the RCB cashing some serious money on the player. “I’m mixing it with and against some of the best players in the world and hopefully I can just keep enjoying my cricket,” he says.

As for the calm demeanor of Mills to his auction headline, he might be gearing up all of that excitement to deliver a smashing performance in the IPL.

trending this week