DUBAI: Big bucks and blockbuster bids lit up the DP World ILT20 Season Five Player Auction recently, with four players shattering the previous auction record of $260,000 set by Andre Fletcher and the MI Emirates in season four.

Fazalhaq Farooqi led the way as the MI Emirates splashed $380,000 on the Afghanistan star, followed by England’s Liam Livingstone at $350,000 with the Gulf Giants.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz fetched $310,000 through the Giants’ Right-to-Match option, while Faf du Plessis joined the Dubai Capitals for $300,000.

Adding to the star-studded atmosphere, DP World ILT20 season five ambassador Brett Lee was joined at the auction by cricketing greats AB de Villiers, Allan Donald, Shoaib Malik and Usman Khawaja.

Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman made their way to the Desert Vipers, with all four Pakistan stars secured at their $80,000 base price.

Babar will make his DP World ILT20 debut in season five, while Naseem and Fakhar return to the defending champions for another campaign.

The six franchises showed immense faith in UAE players, led by Muhammad Waseem, who became the highest-priced UAE player in DP World ILT20 history after MI Emirates used their Right-to-Match option to secure him for $210,000.

Alishan Sharafu followed at $10,000 with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Muhammad Rohid and Aayan Khan both commanded $95,000 deals with the Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals respectively.

Khuzaima Bin Tanveer was secured by the Desert Vipers for $75,000 through RTM, with Vriitya Aravind joining the Vipers for $70,000.

Talent from Associate Member Nations also made a statement. The US’ Amshi De Silva joined the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for $100,000, while fellow US all-rounder Hassan Khan was secured by the Dubai Capitals for $90,000.

Scotland’s Brandon McMullen was picked up by the Sharjah Warriorz for $80,000, while Namibia’s David Wiese joined the Gulf Giants for $70,000.

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders further splashed on English all-rounder Moeen Ali, securing the southpaw for $80,000.

Afghanistan’s Gulbadin Naib for $75,000 and Arab Gul for $80,000 lead the Afghanistan contingent, while the West Indies’ Andre Fletcher and New Zealand’s Colin Munro were both signed for $40,000.

Saudi Arabia’s Abdul Mannan Ali also joined the Knight Riders, while Kuwait’s Ravija Sandaruwan was bought at his base price of $10,000.

The Desert Vipers prioritized retaining their winning combination, exercising their Right-to-Match option for David Payne at $150,000.

They also secured England’s Aneurin Donald and wicketkeeper-batter Joe Clarke for $40,000 each. Saudi Arabia’s Ishtiaq Ahmed was secured for $12,000, while Bilal Tahir of Kuwait was retained at $10,000.

The Dubai Capitals used their Right to Match option on all-rounder Dasun Shanaka at $100,000. They further bolstered their batting stocks with Max Holden at $100,000 and the dangerous English opener Phil Salt at his base price of $80,000.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Sediqullah Atal and Karim Janat were roped in at $70,000 and $40,000 respectively. Kuwait’s Anudeep Chenthamara and Saudi Arabia’s Usman Najeeb were both secured for $10,000.

After making their intent clear with Livingstone and Gurbaz, the Giants continued to invest heavily, bringing in West Indies pacers Alzarri Joseph for $230,000 and Shamar Joseph for $80,000. 

Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran also joined for $65,000, while Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher was secured for $22,000. Saudi Arabia’s Imtiaz Khan joined for $10,000, while the Giants deployed a Right-to-Match option on Kuwait’s Meet Bhavsar at the same price.

The MI Emirates made moves in the accelerated rounds, going for Chris Jordan at $170,000 and South Africa’s Lizaad Williams at $110,000. The season four finalists also retained Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar through their Right-to-Match option for $150,000.

They also secured England’s James Coles for $100,000 and Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera for $40,000. Saudi Arabia’s Zain Ul-Abidin and Kuwait’s Mohammad Shafeeq were both signed at $10,000.

The Warriorz strengthened their squad with a strong English core, securing Richard Gleeson for $180,000, Paul Walter for $110,000, and Tom Banton, Craig Overton and Adil Rashid at their $80,000 base price.

Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi was acquired for $140,000, while South Africa’s George Linde and UAE all-rounder Ali Naseer joined for $40,000 each. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad Saqib and Kuwait’s Arunraj Selvaraj completed the haul at $10,000 apiece.