Pat Cummins broke the record for the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history as Sunrisers Hyderabad paid a staggering 20.5 crore for the Australia skipper at the IPL auction 2024 in Dubai.
But Cummins had no idea that his achievement would be short-lived, as he was defeated by none other than Australia teammate Mitchell Starc. The left-arm quick, who was supposed to cost a fortune, delivered, selling for a whopping 24.75 crore to Kolkata Knight Riders.
This is Starc's second spell with the two-time IPL champions, having previously represented them in 2015.
Starc was always expected to be one of the most significant and eye-catching acquisitions. Starc reportedly received bids from as many as five franchisees the moment he entered the auction.
Notably, when auctioneer Mallika Sagar announced Starc's name, the audience let out a collective gasp and some hooting, and wow, wasn't it a harbinger of things to come? Mumbai Indians promptly targeted Starc, with a starting price of 2 crore, and Delhi Capitals followed suit. A bidding war between Delhi and Mumbai ensued before DC withdrew when the mark hit 9.4 crore.
However, MI's joy was short-lived as Gujarat Titans entered the contest. Their first raising of the paddle increased Starc's range to 9.6 crore, following which MI withdrew. The look of despair on Akash Ambani's face was palpable, but that was only the beginning of the drama that would unfold over the next 5-10 minutes. KKR outbid GT, as Gambhir, who was seated at the table, went on a spending spree.
A neck-and-neck struggle ensued, and the crowd's tension was evident. Like Cummins, as soon as Starc crossed the ₹20 crore margin, the area broke out in a huge round of applause, and the volume of it only kept growing higher with every rise of the paddle. GT believed they had enough after falling just shy of the 25-crore mark. Gautam Gambhir smiled, and as soon as Sagar struck the gavel, KKR knew they had struck gold.
Having entered the auction with a purse of 32.7 crore, KKR are now down to around 6 crore, with KS Bharat and Chetan Sakariya the other two purchases for 50 lakh apiece. Starc's bid was so massive that it eclipsed the other significant purchases in Sets 3 and 4. Umesh Yadav was selected by Gujarat Titans for 5.8 crore, while Chris Woakes joined Punjab Kings for 4.2 crore.
The fact that franchises were willing to go all the way for Starc raises some concerns. He hasn't played in the IPL since 2015, and his T20I record isn't very impressive, with 73 wickets from 58 games at an average of 22.91, a strike rate of 18, and an economy rate of 7.63. Furthermore, and this may come as a surprise, Starc has yet to play a single T20I in India.
