Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins of Australia clinch record deals at IPL Auctions

Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia, ended a fantastic year by breaking the record for the highest-paid player in the Indian Premier League auction history. However, an hour later, Mitchell Starc, a teammate, broke the record.

The experienced paceman was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 24.75 crores , surpassing Sunrisers Hyderabad’s earlier purchase of Cummins for INR 20.50 crore at the Tuesday night auction in Dubai.

Despite often choosing his international commitments above the IPL, 33-year-old Starc entered the auction with an eye on the T20 World Cup, which takes place after the IPL. During his two seasons of IPL participation, he took 34 wickets at an average of 20.38 in 27 games. While Cummins has been a consistent participant in the IPL, he missed the 2023 tournament in order to concentrate on the Ashes and the ODI World Cup.

The fast-bowling duo from Australia easily overcame Sam Curran’s INR 18.50 crore payment from the previous year to become the first two players in the history of the auctions to earn salaries beyond INR 20 crore.

IPL teams weren’t hesitant to spend big money to get Cummins, who helped Australia surprise India in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad last month. Although MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians lead the bidding, Cummins last participated in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders last season. While Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bangalore were also interested in Cummins, the Sunrisers offered a record-breaking offer.

The most impressive bargain of the day was achieved by Chennai Super Kings, who paid just Rs 1.8Cr to secure all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, the outstanding performance for New Zealand in the World Cup. But in an attempt to find a capable middle-order replacement for Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni’s squad had to pay a hefty premium (Rs 14cr) to get Daryl Mitchell, another highly sought-after New Zealand batsman. In an attempt to bolster their quickness, RCB gambled on West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph, paying Rs 11.50cr for him, and then added Kiwi bowler Lockie Ferguson (Rs 2cr) to their lineup. Medium-pacer Harshal Patel, who cost Rs 11.75cr to the Punjab Kings, was the highest-paid Indian player.

Cummins has dominated 2023, first taking home the World Test Championship and then holding onto the Ashes. He helped Australia win a record-tying sixth World Cup last month, and he ended the year by winning the IPL. Regarding Starc, it was always anticipated that he would make a tonne of money. Several former Indian cricket players were taken aback by the shocking sum that Cummins and Starc received together—more than ₹40 crore.

Out of all the capped batsmen, Rovman Powell of the West Indies T20 team was the most expensive, costing Rs 7.40 crore to join the Rajasthan Royals. At the mini auction, Powell went under the hammer first, with a base price of Rs 2 crore. Three teams expressed a strong desire to sign Powell for the 2024 season. The strong batter, who also serves as captain of the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), was eventually acquired by the Rajasthan Royals. Former Australia captain Steve Smith, Manish Pandey of India, and Rilee Rossouw were not sold, while Harry Brook of England was acquired by Delhi Capitals for a whopping Rs 4 crore. Mumbai Indians made a winning bid of Rs 5 crore for the young South African pacer Gerald Coetzee, while India’s Shardul Thakur returned to CSK for Rs 4 crore. The auction is being held outside of India for the first time.

With five titles under their belt, the Mumbai Indians are the wealthiest and most successful team in IPL history. The inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) attracted some of the biggest names in cricket with lucrative wages, and it was a major factor in the success of Twenty20, drawing hundreds of millions of spectators and inspiring similar tournaments throughout the world.