A 16-year-old bought for over 10 million rupees in the IPL auction… Who is Prayas Ray Barman?

The leg-spinner listed himself at the lowest base price of £22,000, but will now be earning far more than that, and also rubbing shoulders with Virat Kohli...

One of the biggest shocks of the 2019 IPL auction on Tuesday was the purchase of a 16-year-old leg-spinner called Prayas Ray Barman for £116,000 by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The youngster listed himself at the lowest base price of £22,000 but will now be earning far more than that, and also rubbing shoulders with Virat Kohli.

Barman only made his professional debut in 2018, featuring for Bengal in the one-day Vijary Hazare Trophy. He ended the tournament as his side’s leading wicket-taker, amassing 11 at 23 with an economy of 4.45 across nine matches.

If the tweet featured below sent out by the Royal Challengers Bangalore is anything to go by, it is that economy which appears to have swayed the youngster's new side.

11 wickets at a meager economy rate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the young 16 year old will learn a lot from @yuzi_chahal!#12thMan, welcome Prayas Ray Barman to Bengaluru!#PlayBold #BidForBold #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/TBoiNMmT35

— Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) December 18, 2018

Though within that tweet he is referred to as an allrounder, his batting figures are far less noteworthy.

He managed only 47 runs at an average of 11.75 during the aforementioned Vijay Hazare Trophy and is the only player RCB purchased at the auction who one might call a specialist bowler.

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