It has been a record-breaking day in the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday. While it may not be like the grand spectacle of a two-day behemoth that the IPL mega auction is, this one was no less significant.
Mitchell Starc created history by becoming the most expensive player at INR 24.75 crore for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), marking his first season in the IPL in eight years.
Earlier, in the richest auction of India’s premier domestic cricket league, Starc’s teammate Pat Cummins secured a deal at INR 20.50 crore, making him the most expensive buy in history. However, Starc surpassed this record in no time. The two Aussie greats have fetched a combined price of 45.25 crore, something unprecedented.
New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell witnessed an intense bidding war. Finally, he was grabbed by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for Rs14 crore. Harshal Patel joined the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 11.75 crore, while Alzarri Joseph became part of RCB for Rs 11.50 crore. Travis Head, another teammate of Cummins and Starc and Australia’s ICC World Cup final hero last month, was picked by SRH for a modest Rs 6.80 crore.
“Pumped to be joining Hyderabad for the upcoming IPL. I have heard a lot about the Orange Army. I have played quite a few times in Hyderabad and loved it. I cannot wait to get started. Great to see another Aussie head over to that place. We are going to have lots of fun this season and hopefully a lot of success,” said Cummins in a video released by the Sunrisers Hyderabad ‘X’ handle.
Rachin Ravindra, with a base price of INR 50 Lakh, found a spot with CSK for Rs 1.8 crore.
“Just really excited to don the yellow jersey. It’s an absolute privilege to be part of such a historic franchise and the IPL team that has so much success. Also very excited to be part of the IPL for the first time,” the Kiwi all-rounder said in a video posted by CSK on X.
More to follow…