IPL 2018 Auction: India U19 star Kamlesh Nagarkoti sat in washroom during KKR bidding

Mumbai: India Under-19 cricket team pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti’s dream came true when he got to know about being bought by Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 3.2 crore in the ongoing IPL auction.

Nagarkoti is currently with the Rahul Dravid-coached youth team in New Zealand for the ongoing ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup.

At the time of bidding, Nagarkoti was a nervous man.

Andar se thoda nervous tha mai (I was a little nervous from within)," Nagarkoti says as he traces the events leading into his eventual bid of INR 3.2 crore (USD 500,000 approx) by Kolkata Knight Riders. "My friends kept calling non-stop, but I didn't pick up the phone. I didn't watch my bidding,” he was quoted saying to ESPNCricinfo.

"When my room partner Pankaj Yadav turned on the live stream, I couldn't take it. I said 'yaar, main jaa raha hoon (mate, I'm off). I went and sat inside the washroom even as my bidding kept going on,” he added.

Soon after, his parents got to know about the news, and he wasted no time in speaking to them.

"TV channels were home to interview them( parents), so I couldn't talk for long, but they were happy,"he added.

"Later, someone tagged them being interviewed on Facebook. They were very happy. I'd only ever watched one IPL match at the stadium before this. To be playing now is a great feeling. I was watching Chris Lynn batting in the BBL on TV. Now I'll get a chance to bowl to him in the nets. It's quite unbelievable," he continued.

Under-19 cricketer Shubman Gill was also another player who was picked up by KKR.

"When I finally saw online, my bid was at INR 1.2 crore," he said.

"I haven't yet thought about who I will get to play with or who all I can learn from,"he continued.

Prithvi Shaw also shared his views on being picked up by Delhi Daredevils for Rs 1.2 crore.

I'm happy, but really it doesn't matter which team I'm part of. Being in that environment will help my game. But for now, the focus is here and to be in the present. If we keep thinking about the auction, mentally we will be in that zone," he commented.

Shaw will lead the Indian colts in the ICC U-19 World Cup semifinal against Pakistan on Tuesday.