’18 months ago I didn’t have a state deal or BBL contract’, says Spencer Johnson after Rs 10 crore GT deal in IPL

New Delhi: Australia pacer Spencer Johnson, who was bought by Gujarat Titans (GT) for a whopping Rs 10 crore, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 mini-auction held on Tuesday, has called it a “life-changing” deal.

At 28, Spencer stood on the brink of a life-changing moment, a dream transforming into reality. His left-arm deliveries, touching speeds of 150 kph, had earned him a place among the elite, alongside cricketing luminaries like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green.

“Eighteen months (ago) I didn’t have a state deal or a Big Bash contract. I was working as a landscaper and groundskeeper. So fast-forward 18 months, yeah it’s different situations,” Spencer told Cricket Australia before travelling with Brisbane Heat teammates to face the Melbourne Renegades at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

For the Australian left-arm fast bowler, the journey from obscurity to the IPL limelight was nothing short of a fairytale. The significance of this moment was not lost on Spencer, who until a year ago, hadn’t tasted the sweetness of a professional cricket contract.

“I think the longer it went, I guess you start to lose a little bit of hope. So the longer it was going, I think the less chance I had. But at the end of the day I was in a position where I was in the auction, and this time last year I wasn’t.

“I feel like I had the potential, it was just a question of getting myself right. I’ve always had that inner belief, but it was more if my body would let me (get there),”

Johnson joined a Titans attack featuring the likes of Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan as the franchise looks to make a third straight IPL final in 2024.

–IANS