Money rained on the Aussies on December 19, 2023, as Australian cricketers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins became the top two buys of the IPL 2024 auction. Starc in the end received a price of INR 24.75 crore and was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Pat Cummins went to Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.50 crore.
Mitchell Starc made a return to the Indian Premier League after eight long years. Starc last played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the year 2015 and now will aim to improve his IPL numbers while playing for the Knights.
Mitchell Starc was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the year 2018 but then Starc sustained an injury and missed the whole IPL edition. Since then, the Australian speedster has prioritized his fitness and national commitment.
Mark Taylor’s blunt opinion on Test cricket’s future
However, after Mitchell Starc’s record deal with the Kolkata Knight Riders, former Australian cricketer Mark Taylor believes that other cricketers shall also follow the same path that Starc followed. Taylor further stated that the huge money thrown by rich IPL franchises can cause a problem for the future of the longer format.
Mark Taylor said while speaking to 9News, “I think Australia have got it right but that pressure is going to be even greater in years to come – there’s already talks about a second IPL, there’s Dubai leagues, there’s American leagues popping up everywhere. There’s an ongoing threat to Test cricket, getting that balance right and maintaining and prioritising Test cricket is going to get tougher.”
“I hope the players follow in that Mitchell Starc mould. Work on getting your baggy green, work on becoming a great Test cricketer, knowing full well the IPL will always be there.”
The Indian Premier League is a platform that has given many big names such as Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya, and many more to international cricket. With the emergence of IPL, many other countries and Cricket Boards have started their cricketing leagues, which also give more money to players than they get while playing for their national side.
Many West Indian cricketer do not want to represent their national team and play in different leagues for the sake of earning more money. Also, the audience comes in fewer numbers to watch any Test match whereas, there are jam-packed stadiums during any T20I or IPL match.
However, ICC has also made changes to the rules of Test cricket and brought in the Day-Night Test to engage more crowd. The market of the Indian Premier League has been increasing for years and the players might get more money in the near future.
The IPL 2024 is expected to start in March and will go on till May. There can be many new names and future stars who can shine in the upcoming edition and later become heroes of their national team.
Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are once again the hot favourites to win the IPL whereas RCB and DC will want to win their maiden title.