Mitchell Starc of Australia, returning to the auction pool after an 8-year absence...
Digital Desk: For the first time, the IPL 2024 Player Auction is being held outside of India, with 332 aspiring cricketers attracting bids for a maximum of 77 slots at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
Furthermore, this is the first time that fans will be able to watch the action live from the stands.
The most interesting part came as the banks were all looted with the highest bid for today as Ace Mitchell Starc of Australia overtook teammate Pat Cummins to become the most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history.
The left-arm quick, who returned to the auction pool after an eight-year absence, broke the bank with a contract of INR 24.75 crore from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Dubai on Thursday.
The bidding war heated up when Starc surpassed the INR 20 crore mark, nudging out his skipper Pat Cummins, who received an INR 20.50 crore deal from the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Archrivals Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians first raced for Cummins before Royal Challengers Bangalore and SRH stepped in with bids.
Travis Head, Cummins' teammate and Player of the Match in the 2023 World Cup final, was also acquired by SRH for 6.80 crore. Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga was also acquired for a record 1.50 crore.
Before Starc could approach the INR 25 crore mark, the Titans backed off at 24.75 crore and let KKR get the speedster to illuminate the IPL 2024.
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