Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins they became the two most expensive purchases in IPL history. The Australian duo crossed 20 crores. Mitchell Starc set the record at Rs 24.75 crore, while Cummins came in second with Rs 20.50 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders acquired the services of Starc, while Sunrisers Hyderabad brought in Pat Cummins. Speaking to Jio Cinema, former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble was shocked by the bidding war for the Australian couple.
He was surprised that Cummins and Starc fetched a higher amount than Indian stalwarts like Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli just by entering the auction. Anil Kumble said that it must be surprising for someone like Bumrah or Kohli to see Starc fetching such a huge amount in the auction.
“I mean, there’s Jasprit Bumrah, right? He is the best all-format bowler in the world, but just because he is already with a franchise, he cannot enjoy the benefits of being part of an auction process. And someone like Starc, who hasn’t had the best form with T20Is, is making a fortune. I can only imagine that someone like Virat Kohli or Bumrah is watching this and thinking what is happening.” Kumble said.
Incidentally, Mitchell Starc has not played in the IPL for the last eight years. His stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2014 and 2015 seasons was his last in IPL. Meanwhile, Pat Cummins skipped the IPL last season and was ruled out following a hip injury in 2022 after playing just five matches for KKR. Starc has taken 34 wickets in 27 matches in his brief IPL career so far. He has never even played a T20I in India.
Anil Kumble suggests there should be a different purse for foreign players in IPL auction
Anil Kumble suggested that there should be a different pool dedicated to foreign players so that franchises set a limit on the money spent on them in the auction. Four of the five most expensive signings were foreign players. New Zealand all-rounder Daryll Mitchell, along with West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph and Australian quick Spencer Johnson, have attracted huge numbers apart from Starc and Cummins. These three were bought for over Rs 10 crore in the auction by Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans respectively.
“I’m happy for the teams, but I really feel that each franchise needs to set a limit on the money they will spend on a foreign player, or group of foreigners. 20 crores is a crazy amount. “I know these are quality players, but for Mitchell Starc to be offered almost Rs 25 million is quite surprising, to say the least.” Kumble said.
Harshal Patel was the most expensive Indian player in the auction and also the only Indian among the top five most expensive buys in the auction. IPL 2024 auction. He was bought by Punjab Kings for a whopping Rs 11.75 crore. Royal Challengers Bangalore released him ahead of the auctions.
The Indian Premier League should be a budding platform for Indian players, but somehow, foreign players have dominated the auctions in the last few years. Last year Sam Curran and Ben Stokes were the most expensive purchases at the auction and now this year it is Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.