"Dont Forget When He Played For KKR": India Great Backs Australia Star Ahead Of IPL Auctions

15.12.2023 - 11:05 sports.ndtv.com

IPL 2024 mini auctions are just around the corner and all the franchises are ready to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season.

A total of 333 players will be going under the hammers, out of which, 214 are Indians and 119 are overseas players and two are from associate nations.

A maximum of 77 slots are now available with up to 30 being slotted for overseas players. The fans are eagerly waiting to witness the bidding war for the likes of Mitchell Starc, Rachin Ravindra, and Travis Head, after their heroics at the ODI World Cup 2023.

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar stated all the franchises will be having their eyes on Australia skipper Pat Cummins, as he brings all-round qualities with him to the team. “I think there will be tremendous interest in Pat Cummins.

cricket Australia Cricket Team India Cricket Team Delhi Capitals Chennai Super Kings Pat Cummins Mitchell Starc Aiden Markram Star Sports Punjab Kings Sunil Gavaskar Australia India county Kings

Cape Town was witness to something remarkable on Wednesday. Overall 23 wickets fell on the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa with several world records being broken. After South Africa chose to bat first, the hosts lost 10 wickets in the first session as they were all out for 55. It's the lowest all-out score by a team against India in Tests. Then India got out for 153, losing their last six wickets for 0 - which is a world record. At stumps, India had gained control with South Africa reeling at 62/3 in their second innings.

Watch - "25-30 Crore Khaate Mein...": Harbhajan Singh's Hilarious Meme On Mitchell Starc's IPL Deal

Mitchell Starc, Australia's World Cup-winning pacer, became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), after he was bought for Rs 24.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders at the Players Auction earlier this month. Starc became the second player to breach the Rs 20 crore mark during the IPL 2024 auction, following SunRisers Hyderabad's Rs 20.5 crore bid for Australia captain and star pacer Pat Cummins. Starc, who went into the auction at a base price of Rs 2 crore, attracted bids from Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans, but KKR secured his services eventually.

No Place For Sarfaraz Ahmed As Pakistan Name 12-Man Squad For Boxing Day Test vs Australia

Pakistan on Monday announced their 12-man squad for the upcoming Boxing Day clash against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with Mohammad Rizwan replacing experienced wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed. Sarfaraz has been sidelined from the Test squad after the nightmare he went through in the Peth Test. He scored just 7 runs in both innings with Mitchell Starc causing him all sorts of trouble.

"Not Shocked But Bit Disappointed": India Pacer On IPL Team Releasing Him Ahead Of Auction

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction saw a distinct trend with fast bowlers being in demand. The top buys of the auction Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders) and Pat Cummins (Rs 20.50 crore, SunRisers Hyderabad) show that trend. Even the costliest Indian in the IPL 2024 auction Harshal Patel (Punjab Kings, Rs 11.75 crore) is a pacer. Even Yash Daya got a Rs 5 crore bid from Royal Challengers Bangalore. Left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya, who has formerly played for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 50 lakh.

IPL Auction 2024: Is Mitchell Starc Worth The Monumental Bill For Kolkata Knight Riders?

The IPL auction 2024 emerged as an intense battleground where Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) engaged fervently to add Mitchell Starc's firepower to their squad. While there was no doubt that Starc, especially after the ODI World Cup success in India, would be a highly sought-after player in the auction, his acquisition by the KKR for a record-breaking sum of Rs 24.75 crore raised the eyebrows of many. Breaking it down, if KKR play a maximum 17 matches in IPL 2024, Mitchell Starc's acquisition would amount to over Rs 6 lakh per ball bowled or Rs 1.45 crore per match. This prompts the question: Does this investment truly justify the expense?

Ex-Australia Star "Delighted" Over Mitchell Starc's IPL Deal. Says This On Pat Cummins' Price Tag

Former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie has questioned Pat Cummins' massive IPL price tag, saying T20 cricket is not the quick's best format but backed Mitchell Starc's jaw-dropping Rs 24.75 crore deal. Cummins attracted the second highest paycheck in the auction in Dubai on Tuesday after an intense bidding war between Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who shelled out a whopping Rs 20.50 crore for the Australian captain.