Sanju Samson and Sachin Baby had contrasting domestic seasons. Sanju, undoubtedly the star in Kerala batting line-up, went through a modest season, while Sachin had a better outing – with more than 400 runs in Ranji Trophy and being the highest run-getter in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the state. He also got selected for the India ‘B’ team that played in the Deodhar Trophy. In the IPL auctions though, Sanju’s reputation as a fine batsman-wicketkeeper came to his rescue as Delhi Daredevils roped him for more than 4 crore. Sachin, Sanju’s team-mate in the now-suspended Rajasthan Royals, too went for a healthy sum of Rs 10 lakh, his base price, to the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Now, the duo look forward to performing for their respective franchises. “I never expected to go for this price. My aim now is to do well and help the team score some victories in the upcoming IPL,” said Sanju. The Delhi Daredevils will need the hard-hitting 21-year-old right-hander at his very best to overturn the disappointments of the past few seasons, where they failed to finish even in the top four. Sachin, who had to sit on the IPL sidelines last season after remaining unsold, has pushed behind that disappointment and is all set to be part of the star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore line-up. The current Kerala one-day and T20 captain will have Shane Watson, Stuart Binny and Samuel Badree, his former team-mates at RR, for company in his new team as well. “It has been a satisfying (domestic) season for me. I did pretty well in all three formats, and now I hope to get some outings for the RCB and make contributions in their wins. It will be exciting to be a part of the dressing room that has the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Watson. Hopefully, I too can make a mark there,” he said.

The other Ashwin – leg-spinner from TN Had M Ashwin followed his father’s footsteps, he would have been a part of the Tamil film world now. Ashwin is the son of Tamil writer Era Murugan, who scripted the blockbuster Billa 2, starring popular actor Ajith. But the 25-year-old chose a different path. Instead of pen, Ashwin trained his fingers to tame the cricket ball, that too in the difficult art of leg-spin. On Saturday, Ashwin might have felt fully convinced that his decision to focus on cricket was not a wrong one as he was picked by the Rising Pune Supergiants for a whopping Rs 4.5 crore, 45 times his base price of Rs 10 lakh. While his record in List A games may not be enviable he made an impression with is brilliant effort in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament in January. He picked up 10 wickets from six matches in the domestic T20 tournament at an impressive economy rate of 5.52. His strike rate was a superb 14. Obviously, Ashwin was thrilled to get the contract with the Pune based franchise. “It was a really emotional moment for me as I was watching the auction with my father. I was hoping to get picked up by a team at least for the base price. But this 4.5 crore came as a big surprise. Now, hopefully, I can be a part of the team’s victory,” he said. In his quest, Ashwin will have Ashwin senior as company. Off-spinner R Ashwin too will be playing for the Supergiants in the ninth edition of the IPL. So, it is reunion time for these two who also went to the same college – Sivasubramanya Nadar College of Engineering in Chennai. MSK Prasad felicitated M S K Prasad, former India and Andhra stumper and now a member of the senior national selection committee, was felicitated by the Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association (VDCA). Andhra Cricket Association president D V S S Somayajulu presided over the function. ACA Secretary and MP Gokaraju Gangaraju hailed Prasad’s contributions as a cricketer and administrator. “Prasad has immensely contributed to the growth of cricket in Andhra as a cricketer and as an administrator. He never forgot his roots and where he came from. He has that humility. It is that quality (which has) helped him to scale heights even after moving away as a cricketer,” said Gangaraju.