Shanaka would've fetched loads of money if T20I series had been played before IPL auction: Gambhir

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka is in red-hot form in T20Is at the moment. He scored a stormy 56 off 22 balls and picked two wickets to be adjudged Player of the Match in the second T20I against hosts India. His all-round performance helped the visitors level the series ahead of the third and final T20I on Saturday.

In the IPL 2023 auction in December, where all-rounders were in high demand and the likes of Sam Curran, Cameron Green and Ben Stokes broke the bank with hefty bids, surprisingly Shanaka (base price ₹50 lakh) went unsold. 

Even as there were no buyers for him for the T20 extravaganza, he is currently the highest run-getter in the T20I series against India. In two matches, the 31-year-old has notched up 101 runs at an incredible strike rate of 206.12. Among highest wicket-takers in the series, he is at the fourth place with two wickets to his name.

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir reflected on the Shanaka's prospects in the IPL auction if it were to happen today. In an interaction on Star Sports, he said that the Sri Lanka all-rounder would have fetched loads of money if the ongoing IND-SL series happened during the auctions.

"I won't have money, he would be that expensive, the way he has batted. That is what the auction is all about. Imagine if this series had happened just before the auction, some of the franchises would probably not have had the money to buy him," said Gambhir.

Meanwhile, Shanaka-led Sri Lanka will hope to clinch the series when they face off against India in the decider game on Saturday. After the conclusion of T20Is, the visitors will play a three-match One-Day International(ODI) series starting Tuesday, January 10.