He may have been sold for a record amount last night but Black Caps allrounder Kyle Jamieson said he didn't wake up a millionaire this morning.
Jamieson became the most expensive New Zealander ever sold in an Indian Premier League auction overnight, going for a whopping $2.86 million thanks in large part to an impressive summer with the Black Caps.
Addressing media this morning though, Jamieson played down the record sum, admitting he didn't stay up for the auction.
"I actually went to sleep just before 10, woke up around midnight and decided to check the phone. I guess I just tried to embrace the experience - I don't know if this will happen again - and I thought rather than try and avoid the situation I'd sit back and enjoy it," Jamieson said.
"It was certainly a weird hour and half waiting for my name to be called up but it was pretty special and pretty surreal."
Jamieson said he called his partner and parents after he was sold, although there "weren't a lot of words" shared before everyone went back to sleep.
"There's no text book on how to approach that kind of stuff and that's how I've tried to take it - it's such a unique experience so I've just tried to embrace the whole situation of it all and enjoy the moment."
The 26-year-old said it was weird to have his IPL salary out in the public domain but it doesn't change anything for him - for now, at least.
"My bank account hasn't changed overnight," he said.
"It's just this intangible thing around the money."
Jamieson burst onto the scene last summer against India when he nabbed nine wickets in the series as well as a man-of-the-match award in the second Test.
From there, Jamieson’s stocks continued to rise as he collected 11 wickets in the West Indies series and a further 16 against Pakistan.
Jamieson’s wicket totals weren’t the only impressive numbers though with the 2.03m-tall Black Cap averaging 14.44 runs per wicket while bowling 56 maidens from his 159 overs throughout the 2020 Test season.
On the flip side, Jamieson also impressed with the bat as he averaged 56.6 runs in Tests.
His personal accolades were capped off by the Black Caps taking the No.1 Test ranking for the first time and recently booking themselves a spot in the final of the World Test Championship.
"It's been an interesting 12 months. It's been so special to be part of this Black Caps group and to have some of the experiences I've had. I've just tried to soak up each moment and take them as they come."
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