Astronomical Rs24.75cr bid makes Starc most expensive player in IPL history

NT Correspondent

Dubai: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc on Tuesday became the most expensive player in the IPL history with an eye-popping bid of Rs 24.75 crore, minutes after his skipper Pat Cummins fetched a jaw-dropping Rs 20.50 crore pay packet as pacers raked in the big moolah at the auction here Tuesday.

Not long after Cummins attracted a mind-boggling bid from Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders raised the bar by offering even a bigger pay packet for the left-arm pacer, who last played in the IPL in 2015.

Starc's payout was significantly more than Sam Curran got last year when Punjab Kings paid a then record Rs 18.50 crore for the England all-rounder.

"It was a shock, of course. Nothing I could have dreamt of. But no doubt, there will be some pressure that comes with the territory. But having the extra experience I have from my last IPL, hopefully, helps," Starc said.

"Few ups and downs I've had before but this comes with the territory and I try to be successful and have as much impact as possible."

Such are the unpredictable ways of IPL that one third of the formidable Australian pace trio, Josh Hazlewood, went unsold in the first round of auction from a base price of Rs 2 crore.

Among the fast bowlers, the others who broke the bank were Harshal Patel (Rs 11.75 crore to Punjab Kings), Alzarri Joseph (Rs 11.50 crore to RCB), Spencer Johnson (Rs 10 crore to Gujarat Titans), Shivam Mavi (Rs 6.40 crore to LSG), Umesh Yadav (Rs 5.80 crore to Gujrat Titans), Gerald Coetzee (Rs 5 crore to Mumbai Indians) and Shardul Thakur (Rs 4 crore to CSK).

Starc, 33, has usually prioritised international duty over IPL but decided to enter the auction with one eye on the T20 World Cup that follows the IPL.

He has played only two seasons of the IPL, taking 34 wickets in 27 games at an average of 20.38.

In contrast, 30-year-old Cummins has been a regular at the IPL but skipped the 2023 edition to focus on the Ashes and the ODI World Cup.

A bidding war followed for Cummins with Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad raising their paddles frenetically to secure the services of the fast bowling all-rounder.