LUCKNOW, Dec. 17 -- A few days ago, Prashant Veer was travelling between Mumbai and Kolkata to play every match for Uttar Pradesh, both in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) tournament and the Under-23 Men's State A Trophy. Veer, a native of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, stayed focussed on his plan of making the cut for the 2026 IPL as he had impressed almost every franchise at the trials. However, Veer's quality as a utility player, both as a left-arm orthodox spinner and hard-hitting batter, made him the most expensive uncapped player in IPL history after Chennai Super Kings bought him for Rs.14.20 crore. The 20-year-old entered the auction at a base price of Rs.30 lakh. He attracted all teams with Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians starting off the bidding before Chennai joined in. The price rose swiftly to Rs.4.2 crore with CSK in control, only for Rajasthan Royals to jump in and drive it up to Rs.6 crore. But CSK pushed the bid further. SRH then triggered a dramatic escalation, taking the price from Rs.6.8 crore as the bids surged towards the Rs.14 crore mark. CSK eventually secured Veer for Rs.14.20 crore. One of the reasons behind Veer's confidence of making it to the IPL side was his solid performance in the third edition of the UPT20 League in September where he turned out to be a star for Noida Super Kings. UP's U-23 side coach and former India cricketer, Gyanendra Pandey, was overwhelmed. "He is a perfect player for CSK like Ravindra Jadeja. He is an energetic performer with the bat and the ball," said Pandey. "His courageous attitude at the ground makes him different from others. I'm sure he is going to be a trump card for CSK." Son of a siksha mitra (govt-appointed guide for education), Veer has represented UP across formats and showcased remarkable consistency, even while juggling SMAT duties with the BCCI U-23 tournament and playing six matches in seven days while shuttling between Mumbai and Kolkata. His UP T20 League exploits - 320 runs at a strike rate of 155.34 - further highlight his batting prowess. His form has caught the eye of IPL scouts ahead of the auction, with CSK trailing him to replace Jadeja....