Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins set new records after becoming the highest-ever buys in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction history on December 19. The dazzling Australian duo commanded bids over Rs 20 crores each, with Starc reaching a record-breaking Rs 24.75 crore and Cummins closely following at Rs 20.50 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders secured Starc, while Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched Cummins. Reacting to the auction's outcome, India's spin legend Anil Kumble shared his astonishment about the intense bidding for the Aussie duo.
Kumble expressed his surprise at how Cummins and Starc fetched higher bids than India's star players Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli simply by being part of the auction. He remarked that it must be an eye-opener for players like Bumrah or Kohli to witness windfall on Starc.
“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 in a conversation with Jio Cinema.
Interestingly, Starc has been absent from the IPL for the last eight years, with his last participation being with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Cummins, on the other hand, missed the previous IPL season and was sidelined due to a hip injury in 2022 after playing only five games for KKR. So far in his limited IPL career, Starc has claimed 34 wickets in 27 matches and has yet to play a T20I in India.
Kumble proposed that IPL franchises should have a separate budget for overseas players, which would limit the amount spent on them in the auction. This suggestion comes in the wake of four out of the top five most expensive signings being foreign players. New Zealand's all-rounder Daryll Mitchell, West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph, and Australian fast bowler Spencer Johnson also fetched high bids, each being picked up for over 10 crores by Chennai Super Kings, RCB, and GT, 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,” Kumble added.
Meanwhile, Harshal Patel emerged as the highest-bid Indian player in the IPL 2024 auction, and notably, he was the sole Indian among the top five expensive signings in the glitzy IPL 2024 auction. Punjab Kings snapped him up for an impressive sum of Rs 11.75 crore, following his release by RCB prior to the auctions.
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