Left-arm sensation Spencer Johnson continues meteoric rise with $1.78m IPL contract

Fast bowler Spencer Johnson’s Indian Premier League dream has been realised, and it’s a lucrative deal worth shouting about.

New IPL millionaire Spencer Johnson never doubted his ability, but trusting that his body could cope with the demands of fast bowling was a different story.

Late bloomer Johnson’s fairytale rise in the cricket ranks continued on Tuesday night when he secured a $1.78m deal with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League auction.

His monster pay day earned him a round of applause from his Brisbane Heat teammates when he sauntered into Brisbane airport early on Wednesday morning somewhat bleary eyed from dealing with his late night surprise.

“I never thought I’d be in this situation … I wasn’t expecting anything,” the 28-year-old Brisbane Heat left-arm quick said on Wednesday.

And with good reason.

This time last year Johnson hadn’t even made his BBL debut after a host of injuries impacted the early stages of his career.

“I felt like I had the potential, (but) it was a question of whether I could get myself right,” he said.

“I’ve always had that inner belief, but it was more whether my body would let me (perform at the highest level).”

Much to Johnson’s relief, his body hasn’t let him down since debuting for the Heat last January.

Since then he has represented Australia at T20 and one-day international level, played Australia “A” against New Zealand and earnt a deal in the English competition The Hundred with the Oval Invincibles, for whom he took 3-1 off 20 balls on debut.

Despite his meteoric rise, Johnson said just being part of the IPL auction process would have been enough for him.

Heat paceman Spencer Johnson (centre) is celebrating a lucrative IPL deal. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

However, as Tuesday night’s auction dragged on, he admitted to losing a “little bit of hope”.

“The longer it was going, the less chance I had,” he said.

It turned out that Johnson – whose base price was only $89,000 – had nothing to worry about, with competition powerhouses Gujarat leaving it late before pouncing on the South Australia-born paceman.

“It’s a moment for my whole family. They’ve been there the whole way, so for them to experience it as well, it’s pretty special,” he said.

“I’m very excited to be a part of Gujarat. They’ve played in two (IPL) finals already. They’ve got an unbelievable list and unbelievable support staff.”

Johnson’s Titans teammates include fellow Australian Matthew Wade, master New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson, brilliant Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and Indian stars Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami.

Johnson’s Heat teammate Michael Neser was delighted for his fellow paceman.

“His pockets are pretty heavy. All the boys are lining up for his shout of coffee this morning,” Neser joked before acknowledging the work Johnson had put in to overcome injuries that had plagued him.

“Everyone knew how talented he was, it was just that injury after injury held him back, but he’s found that sweet spot now,” Neser said.

“He’s had an incredible 12 months … (and) he’s been rewarded with a nice pay cheque.”