"I will miss Mahi bhai a lot": Tushar Deshpande

CSK’s MS Dhoni (right) with pacer Tushar Deshpande during their game v RCB in Chennai last year. Pic/Getty Images

Mumbai pacer Tushar Deshpande, who claimed 42 scalps in 36 IPL games for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), was bought by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for Rs 6.50 crore during the players auction in Jeddah on Monday.

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Deshpande, who had a base price of Rs 1 crore, was expecting to be picked by CSK again and will now miss legendary captain MS Dhoni's guidance. "I will miss Mahi bhai a lot. He stood by me during the worst and best of times," Deshpande told mid-day from Bangalore on Monday. Deshpande underwent surgery on his left ankle last September and is currently doing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. He is expecting to make a comeback in January when the Ranji Trophy resumes.

"Now that RR have shown great faith in me, I will give my 100 per cent in each game. I am very excited to join the new team and play under Sanju Samson and learn a lot from Rahul Dravid, who has done wonders for India," Deshpande remarked. Deshpande, 29, represented India in two T20Is under Shubman Gill's captaincy in Zimbabwe last July.

When asked if he expected to get such a big amount while CSK and RR were trying to get him, he said: "I was expecting to get around this much. I was just hoping that somebody would bid for me. I was following the full duration of the auction on Sunday, but my name did not come up. So, I followed it keenly again today."