India, Dec. 22 -- Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tipped his hat to Indian Premier League (IPL) defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for signing New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy at his base price in the mini auction. The right-arm medium pacer, aged 31, has been in sensational form of late, and his performances have resulted in him attaining the number two spot in the T20I rankings for bowlers. Not just this, he most recently scalped nine wickets in the third and final Test against the West Indies, helping the Kiwis register a massive 323-run win.

With the haul of nine wickets, Duffy also broke Richard Hadlee's 40-year-old record of taking the most scalps by a New Zealand bowler in a single calendar year. The pacer...