IPL 2023 Auction: Odean Smith joins Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 50 Lakhs

West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith was placed in Set 2, comprising all-rounders, for the IPL 2023 mini-auctions.

By CX Staff Writer Dec 23, 2022, 16:02 IST

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Odean Smith, the West Indies medium-fast bowling all-rounder, was bought by the Gujarat Titans for INR 50 Lakhs at the IPL 2023 mini-auctions held in Kochi on Friday, December 23. Smith was one of the six players in Set 2, designed for all-rounders, which comprised his West Indies teammate Jason Holder, England’s Ben Stokes and Sam Curran, Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan, Australia’s Cameron Green and Zimbabwe’ Sikandar Raza.

Smith has represented the West Indies in 24 T20Is since his debut in 2018 and five ODIs - all in 2022 - till date. He has bagged 24 wickets at an economy of 9.84 and aggregates 162 runs at a strike-rate of 139.65 in T20Is. Overall, he has bagged 70 wickets and scored 485 runs at a strike-rate of 139 from 66 appearances in all T20 cricket.

Smith, who was a part of the West Indies Under-19 winning team at the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2016, has been a much sought after player in various franchise leagues across the globe, having represented the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Lucia Stars and the Trinidad & Tobago at the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) back home and the Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Check live list of players sold and unsold here

Odean Smith at IPL 2022

Smith was signed by the Punjab Kings for a whopping INR 6 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction last year, making him one of the most expensive buys in the competition. However, he had a rather underwhelming run, with 51 runs at 17 and a strike-rate of 115.91 and six wickets from as many games at an economy of 11.87.

He had a mixed IPL debut against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, returning 0/52 in four overs with the ball, before he helped the Kings chase down 206 with an over to spare with a blistering 25* off 8. He was at the receiving end of Andre Russell’s onslaught in his next outing, and later against Rahul Tewatia, who smashed him for two back-to-back sixes to complete one of the most epic finishes in IPL history.

Smith redeemed himself with a match-winning 4/30 against the Mumbai Indians, but didn’t have much role to play thereafter in the Kings’ sixth finish in the competition.