Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Dubai)
Tuesday proved to be a day of breaking stereotypes in Indian cricket with a UAE connection.
Mitchell Starc put Pat Cummins in shade in a dramatic session of a mini-auction of the cash-rich Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament which was held at the Coca Cola Arena.
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In the backdrop of the towering Burj Khalifa, the record books had to be written twice in the space of an hour for the most expensive player in the world's richest cricket league. Cummins broke past the existing record of 1.85 billion Indian rupees held by Sam Curran ($2.23 million).
Even before the Australia winning captain of the 50-over World Cup, held recently in India, could celebrate with Sunrisers Hyderabad after they bid $2.47m, his compatriot Mitchell Starc stole the spotlight with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) breaking the bank for him.
That's a GRAND return to the IPL for Mitchell Starc 😎
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 19, 2023
DO NOT MISS the record-breaking bid of the left-arm pacer who will feature for @KKRiders 💜💪#IPLAuction | #IPL pic.twitter.com/D1A2wr2Ql3
To normal fans in the audience, there were gasps of excitement even as his name was announced. Although Starc has been injury-ridden in recent times and in the fast bowler category which is largely held with lesser significance in the history of IPL and the format in general, Starc got caught in a bidding war over two phases and ended up with an offer of $2.98 million going for him from KKR.
Between the two Australians, an amount of $5.42 million has been spent. Justifying the decision, the KKR franchise managing director Venky Mysore said: "Everybody has same purse to spend. More or less can happen, but few years down these don't matter. It is just how teams decide to slice it [the money pot] differently and the skill sets. It wasn't like you came in with that mindset, but obviously he (Starc) was a preferred player from that skill set standpoint.
"I think everybody comes with their own plans. You win some, you lose some, and you just have to be prepared. In this case, we got Starc," Mysore added.
In a video message, Starc sent his wishes within an hour. "Hello KKR fans, I am thrilled to join you soon. I cannot wait to be at home in Kolkata, amidst you, and enjoy the atmosphere there."
ALSO READ: Live updates from the auction, as it happened
Earlier in the first phase for Cummins, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings were involved but quickly dropped out when others chimed in with more keener interest. Royal Challengers Bangalore doggedly pursued Cummins but the 2016 IPL champions Hyderabad had the last laugh.
Cummins also provides a leadership option at Hyderabad, though head coach Daniel Vettori remain tight-lipped about that prospect. "There's a lot of cricket left before the IPL," former New Zealand captain Vettori said. "We'll have to get through that and then we'll make a decision closer to that time."
A similar pattern unfolded for Starc, who will be returning to IPL after an eight-year gap; this time Mumbai and Delhi Capitals vying for his service. New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell also struck it rich with Chennai putting up $1.67m. India seamer Harshal Patel also became a millionaire joining Punjab Kings for $1.41m.
The Indian cricket board has not announced the dates but next year's IPL is likely to be played between March and May. Unsold players included former Australia captain Steve Smith, Rilee Russouw of South Africa and England spinner Adil Rashid.
Meanwhile, adding up to the history elements, was the presence of the first female auctioneer in IPL's 16 years of existence when Mallika Sagar became the first to hold the gavel. An art auctioneer from Mumbai, her sports CV includes similar roles for Pro Kabaddi League and the women's IPL.
Presenting the Top 5⃣ buys of #IPLAuction 2024 😎
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 19, 2023
Mitchell Starc tops the list with a whopping amount of INR 24.75 Crore 🔥#IPL pic.twitter.com/3ky8QsixV1
