Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins became the two most expensive purchases in IPL history. The Australian duo went over ₹20 crores. Mitchell Starc set the record at ₹24.75 crore whereas Cummins was second at ₹20.50 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders acquired the services of Starc whereas Pat Cummins was raked in by Sunrisers Hyderabad. Speaking to Jio Cinema, ex-India cricketer Anil Kumble was astonished at the bidding war for the Aussie pair.
He was surprised that Cummins and Starc went for more 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 getting such a huge amount in the auction.
“I mean, there is 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 perks of being part of an auction process. And someone like Starc, who hasn’t had the greatest form in T20Is, is earning a fortune. I can only imagine that someone like Virat Kohli or Bumrah must be watching this and thinking what is going on,” said Kumble.
Incidentally, Mitchell Starc has not played in the IPL for the past eight years. His stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2014 and 2015 seasons was the last of his in IPL. Meanwhile, Pat Cummins skipped the IPL last season and was ruled out after a hip injury in 2022 after playing just five games for KKR. Starc has taken 34 wickets in 27 matches in his brief IPL career as of now. He has never even played a T20I in India.
Anil Kumble Suggests There Should Be A Different Purse For Overseas Players In IPL Auction
Anil Kumble suggested that there should be a different purse dedicated to overseas players for franchises to set a cap on the money spent on them in the auction. Four of the top five most expensive signings were foreign players. New Zealand all-rounder Daryll Mitchell alongside West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph, and Australian quick Spencer Johnson has drawn massive amounts in addition to Starc and Cummins. These three were picked up for over 10 crores 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 every franchise needs to set a limit on the money they will spend on an overseas player, or the bracket of foreigners. ₹20 crore is a mad amount. I know that these are quality players but Mitchell Starc being offered almost ₹25 crore is pretty surprising, to say the least,” said Kumble.
Harshal Patel was the most expensive Indian player in the auction and also the only Indian in the top five most expensive buys of the IPL 2024 auction. He was purchased by Punjab Kings for a whopping 11.75 crore. He was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the auctions.
The Indian Premier League should be a budding platform for Indian players but somehow, overseas players have dominated the auctions in recent years. Last year Sam Curran and Ben Stokes were the most expensive purchases in the auction and now this year it is Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
