ILT20 auction: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Liam Livingstone lead top 10 buys as four players cross USD 300,000

The DP World ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction saw franchises break the previous auction record, with Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi becoming the most expensive player in league auction history after MI Emirates paid USD 380,000 for him.

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Faf du Plessis also crossed the USD 300,000 mark, while several other high-profile names commanded six-figure deals.

Here are the 10 most expensive buys at the auction:

RankPlayerFranchisePrice1Fazalhaq FarooqiMI EmiratesUSD 380,0002Liam LivingstoneGulf GiantsUSD 350,0003Rahmanullah GurbazGulf GiantsUSD 310,0004Faf du PlessisDubai CapitalsUSD 300,0005Alzarri JosephGulf GiantsUSD 230,0006Muhammad WaseemMI EmiratesUSD 210,0007Richard GleesonSharjah WarriorzUSD 180,0008Chris JordanMI EmiratesUSD 170,0009David PayneDesert VipersUSD 150,00010Allah GhazanfarMI EmiratesUSD 150,000

1. Fazalhaq Farooqi – USD 380,000, MI Emirates

Fazalhaq Farooqi emerged as the biggest buy of the auction, with MI Emirates spending USD 380,000 on the Afghanistan pacer. The deal shattered the previous DP World ILT20 auction record of USD 260,000, set by Andre Fletcher and MI Emirates in Season 4.

2. Liam Livingstone – USD 350,000, Gulf Giants

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone was the second-biggest buy, joining Gulf Giants for USD 350,000. The Giants made their intent clear early by committing one of the auction’s biggest sums to the powerful all-rounder.

3. Rahmanullah Gurbaz – USD 310,000, Gulf Giants

Gulf Giants retained Rahmanullah Gurbaz through their Right-to-Match option for USD 310,000. The Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter became the third player to cross the USD 300,000 mark at the auction.

4. Faf du Plessis – USD 300,000, Dubai Capitals

Faf du Plessis became the fourth player to command at least USD 300,000, with Dubai Capitals securing the former South Africa captain for USD 300,000.

5. Alzarri Joseph – USD 230,000, Gulf Giants

West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph was another major investment by Gulf Giants, who paid USD 230,000 for the fast bowler. His purchase made him the fifth-highest-priced player at the auction.

6. Muhammad Waseem – USD 210,000, MI Emirates

MI Emirates used their Right-to-Match option to secure UAE batter Muhammad Waseem for USD 210,000. The deal made Waseem the highest-priced UAE player in DP World ILT20 auction history.

7. Richard Gleeson – USD 180,000, Sharjah Warriorz

Sharjah Warriorz paid USD 180,000 for England fast bowler Richard Gleeson, making him the franchise’s biggest buy at the auction.

8. Chris Jordan – USD 170,000, MI Emirates

MI Emirates continued their spending spree in the accelerated rounds by signing England all-rounder Chris Jordan for USD 170,000.

9. David Payne – USD 150,000, Desert Vipers

Defending champions Desert Vipers exercised their Right-to-Match option to retain England pacer David Payne for USD 150,000 as they looked to retain their winning combination.

10. Allah Ghazanfar – USD 150,000, MI Emirates

MI Emirates also used their Right-to-Match option on Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar, securing him for USD 150,000 and giving the franchise four players among the auction’s top 10 buys.

The big spenders

MI Emirates led the spending among the six franchises with a total auction outlay of USD 2 million. Gulf Giants spent USD 1.972 million, while Dubai Capitals were next at USD 1.834 million. Sharjah Warriorz spent USD 1.720 million, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders USD 1.549 million and Desert Vipers USD 1.544 million.