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At 33 years old, Starc is set to make a comeback to the IPL after an eight-year hiatus, having previously been part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team.Before a bidding war for Starc, his teammate and Australia captain Pat Cummins held the new record for about one hour, having fetched Rs 20.50 crore from the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Commencing an intense bidding war that extended for several minutes, Starc triggered the competition, initially involving Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. After their withdrawal, Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders engaged in an even more significant bidding battle, surpassing the Rs 20.50 crore spent by SRH on Cummins.
Ultimately, Gujarat Titans withdrew at Rs 24.75 crore, and Kolkata Knight Riders secured Starc at a record-breaking price.
Cummins, who has been comparatively a regular in the IPL, opted to skip the 2023 edition to concentrate on the Ashes and the ODI World Cup.
A spirited bidding war ensued for Cummins, with Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad vigorously vying for the services of the fast-bowling all-rounder.
Ultimately, SRH emerged as the highest bidder for Cummins, setting a new record by surpassing the Rs 18.5 crore spent by Punjab Kings on England’s Sam Curran in the previous year.
This wasn’t the first time Cummins commanded a significant sum at the IPL auction. Prior to the 2020 edition, Kolkata Knight Riders had paid Rs 15.5 crore for his services.
In addition to Cummins, Sunrisers also secured the services of World Cup final hero Travis Head for Rs 6.80 crore.
Among the fast bowlers, others who fetched substantial amounts were Harshal Patel (Rs 11.75 crore to Punjab Kings), Alzarri Joseph (Rs 11.50 crore to RCB), Umesh Yadav (Rs 5.80 crore to Gujarat Titans) and Shivam Mavi (Rs 6.40 crore to LSG).
(With PTI inputs)