The IPL 2024 auction has been done and dusted in the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 19. We have seen the record-breaking buys in this year’s auction and the pacers have found themselves in a very good position during the event. Also, we have seen an INR 20 crore barrier break in the IPL 2024 auction, not just one but two times. Today, we will talk about the top 5 most expensive players in the IPL 2024 auction. So let’s dive into it quickly.
Top 5 most expensive player in IPL 2024 auction
1. Mitchell Starc (sold to KKR for INR 24.75 crore)
The Aussie pacer becomes the most expensive player in IPL history. Before the IPL 2024 auction, there was a lot of hype for Mitchell Starc’s comeback in the tournament. A lot of franchises were interested in buying the Aussie pacer. Eventually, he became the most expensive player in the history.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him for a whopping INR 24.75 crore, winning a bidding war against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
KKR won a bidding war against RCB
Mitchell Starc’s bidding war started when Delhi Capitals (DC) put the first paddle. Mumbai Indians joined the bid and both the franchises went hard for a while.
KKR came into play when they bid for the first time at INR 9.80 crore. Gujarat Titans also join the party and both the teams go wild for Mitchell Starc. In the end, KKR won the war and bought Mitchell Starc for INR 24.75 crore.
The left-arm pacer is coming back to Indian Premier League IPL after 9 years. He played his last IPL game in 2015. In 2018, KKR bought Starc for INR 9.40 crore, but the pacer missed the tournament due to a leg injury.
Starc only played in two IPL seasons (2014-15) before missing out in 2018. Other than that, he prioritized international commitment and didn’t give his name in the IPL auction to manage his workload.
Let’s see how he does in the upcoming IPL season. There should be a pressure of a price tag on Starc.
2. Pat Cummins (sold to SRH for INR 20.50 crore)
Pat Cummins is another player who goes past the 20 crore INR mark. He became the most expensive buy in IPL history in the IPL 2024 auction earlier. But in less than an hour, his countryman Mitchell Starc went past him to become the most expensive buy in IPL history.
Maybe, one of the major factors of this price tag is that Pat Cummins is a current World Cup-winning captain, so his brand value is even more. Also, he is an overseas fast bowler as well. The franchises are always keen to invest in overseas pacers.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bought him for INR 20.50 crore in the IPL 2024 auction. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) franchises started the bidding war for Pat Cummins. After a while, RCB joins the bidding against CSK.
CSK stopped after a certain amount and then comes SRH in the game. RCB and SRH went hard to get Pat Cummins, but the latter won the battle and the former again didn’t get what they wanted.
3. Daryll Mitchell ( Sold To CSK For INR 14 Crore )
The Kiwi batting all-rounder has been phenomenal in the last couple of years across all formats. His temperament and ability are what the franchises looked for.
Five times IPL champions, CSK bought him for INR 14 crore in the auction. They need someone in the middle order after Ben Stokes and Ambati Rayudu’s exclusion from the team. Daryll Mitchell can play that role perfectly as he has shown in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2023. He has played some crucial knocks, especially against India. He has scored two hundred against India in the tournament. Unfortunately, both innings vent in vain as India won both games.
Let’s see what he brings to the table for CSK.
4. Harshal Patel (sold to PBKS for INR 11.75 crore)
The right-arm medium pacer is the most expensive Indian buy in the IPL 2024 auction. He has been bought by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 11.75 crore.
Harshal Patel has been in the system for a while. But he started to shine when he did well for RCB. He can pick wickets and restrict runs at the back end of the inning as well. The pacer has some variation under his armory like cutters and slowers, which deceives the opposition batters. His dipping slower ones made life difficult for the batters.
5. Alzarri Joseph (sold to RCB for INR 11.50 crore)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) needed an out-and-out fast bowling option. And they have got Alzarri Joseph on their side. They went hard for Mitchell Starc as well. But after a certain point, they backed out due to budget.
Joseph has been in and out of IPL. But he can be very dangerous if he clicks. RCB needs a good bowling combination to complement their batting lineup. Let’s see how they do in the tournament.
So these are the top 5 most expensive buys in the IPL 2024 auction. Thank you for reading. Keep following us for the latest updates.
FAQ’s:-
1. Who was the most expensive buy before this auction in IPL history?
In IPL 2023, Sam Curran was the most expensive buy in IPL history. PBKS bought him for INR 18.50 crore in the IPL 2023 auction.
2. Who is the most expensive uncapped player in this IPL auction?
Sameer Rizvi has been sold to CSK for INR 8.40 crore, making him the most expensive uncapped player in this year’s auction.
