Mitchell Starc secures a whopping ₹24.75 crore windfall in the IPL auction, emerging as the costliest acquisition and overshadowing Pat Cummins’ brief record
In the annals of IPL auction history, Mitchell Starc has etched his name as the highest-priced player, amassing a staggering ₹24.75 crore. The Kolkata Knight Riders have successfully acquired his services.
Pat Cummins, the Australian skipper, previously held the record as the most expensive IPL player, fetching an extraordinary ₹20.5 crore during the 2024 IPL auction in Dubai with Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, Cummins’ reign at the top was short-lived, as his compatriot Mitchell Starc surpassed the record within an hour. Starc, the left-arm speedster, lived up to the anticipation, commanding an astonishing ₹24.75 crore, making him the latest gem in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ roster. This marks Starc’s second stint with the two-time IPL champions, having represented them previously in 2015.
Starc had already garnered attention as one of the most significant and attention-grabbing prospects. The moment he entered the auction, five franchises vied for his signature. The frenzied atmosphere within Dubai’s Coca-Cola arena was entirely justified. The announcement of Starc’s name by auctioneer Mallika Sagar prompted a collective gasp and enthusiastic cheers from the crowd – a foreshadowing of the spectacle that was about to unfold. With a base price of ₹2 crore, Starc became the focus of Mumbai Indians’ interest, followed by the Delhi Capitals. A heated bidding war ensued between Delhi and Mumbai until the latter withdrew at ₹9.4 crore.
The disappointment on Akash Ambani’s face was evident, but this was merely the beginning of the riveting drama. The Gujarat Titans entered the fray, elevating Starc’s bid to ₹9.6 crore, prompting the Mumbai Indians to exit the race. The visible disappointment on Ambani’s face marked the start of an intense battle, with the Kolkata Knight Riders ultimately outbidding the Gujarat Titans. Gambhir, representing KKR, went on a spending spree, creating a neck-and-neck competition that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Similar to Cummins’ scenario, applause erupted when Starc crossed the ₹20 crore mark, growing louder with each subsequent bid. Just shy of the ₹25-crore mark, the Gujarat Titans conceded defeat, and the joy on Gautam Gambhir’s face was unmistakable as Mallika Sagar sealed the deal with the gavel.
Entering the auction with a budget of ₹32.7 crore, the Kolkata Knight Riders now have approximately ₹6 crores remaining after securing Mitchell Starc, with KS Bharat and Chetan Sakariya as additional acquisitions at ₹50 lakh each. Starc’s colossal bid overshadowed other significant buys in Sets 3 and 4. The Gujarat Titans secured Umesh Yadav for ₹5.8 crore, while Chris Woakes found a new IPL home with the Punjab Kings for ₹4.2 crore.
The willingness of franchises to go to great lengths for Starc raises eyebrows, considering his absence from the IPL since 2015 and a T20I record that may not dazzle: 73 wickets from 58 games at an average of 22.91, a strike rate of 18, and an economy rate of 7.63. In a surprising trivia tidbit, Starc has yet to feature in a single T20I match in India.