In less than 10 days, the biggest franchise-based cricket carnival will kick off for the 17th time and the fans are already licking their lips in anticipation of watching their favourite players and teams in action. The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will commence on March 22 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locking horns against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Ahead of IPL 2024, a mini-auction was conducted in December 2023 that saw franchises fork out gigantic sums of money to secure the services of some of the biggest names in the sport.
While Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc the most expensive player in IPL history, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) forked out a huge amount of money to acquire Pat Cummins.
Ahead of the 2024 IPL season, let's take a look at the top 5 costliest players who will feature in the competition.
1. Mitchell Starc (KKR)
Kolkata Knight Riders forked out a historic and staggering sum of Rs 24.75 for Mitchell Starc. Starc entered the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore and ended up pocketing 12 times more than his base price.
2. Pat Cummins (SRH)
After leading Australia to ODI World Cup triumph and World Test Championship title, Pat Cummins entered the mini-auction as one of the most sought-after players. As it turned out, the Sunrisers Hyderabad broke the bank and signed the Australian superstar for a whopping sum of Rs 20.50 crore.
3. Sam Curran (PBKS)
England all-rounder Sam Curran was acquired by the Punjab Kings for a gigantic sum of Rs 18.50 crore for IPL 2023. Curran failed to up to his billing but was still retained by the franchise.
4. Cameron Green (RCB)
The Mumbai Indians forked out Rs 17.50 crore for Australian all-rounder Cameron Green in action held before the previous season of IPL in 2023. Green was traded to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and will feature for Faf du Plessis' team in IPL 2024.
5. KL Rahul (LSG)
Indian star KL Rahul was roped in by the Lucknow Super Giants for a sum of Rs 17 crore. The franchise has stuck with Rahul since its inception and the stylish batter is gearing up to leading the team in IPL 2024.
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