Aussie Pacer Mitchell Starc Shatters Cummins’s Record To Return To IPL As Most Expensive Buy

Dubai: Australia pacer Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in the history of IPL, surpassing the record price of countrymen Pat Cummins, as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) acquired his services for Rs 24.75 crore at the Indian Premier League 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday.

This will be his first season in the IPL in eight years.

Australia’s World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins fetched the second-best bid of Rs 20.50 crore after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SHR) triumphed an intense bidding war against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, setting another milestone in IPL auction history.

The duo surpassed the previous record of Rs 18.50 crore held by England all-rounder Sam Curran, who was acquired by Punjab Kings last year.

World Cup 2023 final’s player-of-the-match Travis Head was also snapped up by SRH for Rs 6.8 crore after an intense bidding battle with CSK. The side also bagged Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga at his base price of Rs 1.50 crore.

West Indies T20 skipper Rovman Powell was the first player to be sold in the auction after he was bought by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for Rs 7.4 crore after an intense battle with KKR.

Rachin Ravindra was the first buy for CSK, which signed him for Rs 1.80 crore. CSK and Delhi Capitals (DC) started the bidding war for the young Kiwi opener before Punjab Kings (PBKS) entered the fray at Rs 1.1 crore. But he was ultimately bought by CSK. Rachin will make his IPL debut in 2024. The 23-year-old scored 578 runs in 10 innings to end as the fourth-highest run-getter of ODI World Cup 2023 in India.

Shardul Thakur, the only member of the India’s World Cup squad to be in the auction, was also picked up by CSK for Rs 4 crore. The side also invested Rs 14 crore in acquiring New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell.

Harry Brook was signed by DC at Rs 4 crore even as RR tried hard to the get him while fast bowler Harshal Patel went to PBKS for a whopping Rs 11.75 crore. West Indies’ Alzarri Joseph was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 11.50 crore.

Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav were the only three Indians to have featured in the highest reserve price bracket of Rs 2 crore.