Who is Spencer Johnson, the Australian pacer sold to Gujarat Titans at Rs 10 crore ?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Dubai, UAE, has concluded, and surprisingly, in a tournament that has historically been batter-oriented, bowlers have fetched hefty prices.

The auctions witnessed pacers like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, and Alzari Joseph being sold at substantial prices. However, just when everybody thought all the top bowlers had been roped in, an Australian left-arm pacer emerged, taking everyone by surprise.

The player in focus is Spencer Johnson, a 28-year-old left-arm bowler, initially listed at a base price of Rs 50 lakh. Johnson sparked an intense bidding war between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Titans (GT). Eventually, GT secured his services at a whopping Rs 10 crore.

Who is Spencer Johnson?

• Renowned for his sheer pace, Johnson is regarded as the upcoming prospect in the Australian cricketing landscape.
• Johnson plies his trade for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL) and has amassed 17 wickets in 20 T20 domestic matches thus far.
• He earned a rookie contract from South Australia in the 2017-18 domestic season and notably returned from an injury in 2016 to assist West Torrens in claiming premierships across all three formats.
• The pacer made his debut for Australia against South Africa in August 2023, where he impressively secured two wickets in his inaugural match.
• In BBL, he has featured in 12 matches and has claimed 10 scalps, maintaining an economy rate of 7.81.

  

   

A valuable addition for Gujarat Titans

• Given Johnson's proficiency as a left-arm pacer capable of troubling batters with his pace, he is anticipated to be a primary asset in their bowling attack.
• GT’s pace battery is set to be led by Mohammed Shami, Joshua Little, Mohit Sharma, Spencer Johnson, and Umesh Yadav.
• Captain Shubman Gill is likely to favor Shami, Johnson, Umesh, and Mohit Sharma as the key pacers, potentially alternating between Johnson and Joshua Little in the latter stages of the tournament.
• For Johnson, the real challenge will be replicating his BBL performance in the IPL, as Indian pitches generally lack the bounce typically found in Australian or West Indies pitches.