KKR Break The Bank For Mitchell Starc, Splash Rs 24.75 Crore To Make Him Most Expensive IPL Buy Ever

19.12.2023 - 13:32 sports.ndtv.com

The left-arm pacer became the second player to breach the 20-cocre mark after team-mate Pat Cummins was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.5 crore on the same day in the IPL 2024 auction held in Dubai on Tuesday The 33-year-old, who went into the auction at a base price of Rs 2 crore, attracted bids from Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals.

Both teams were involved in an intense bidding war. Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans joined in to take the price past Rs 20 crore, before the Kolkata-based franchise bagged him at a record price.

Australia's premier bowler, Starc returns to the IPL after an eight-year hiatus. The veteran Australian pacer had abstained from participating in the IPL since 2015, focusing on fulfilling national duties.

cricket Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2024 Pat Cummins Mitchell Starc Australia India

Australia's Mitchell Starc bowled a ripper to clean up Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique on Day 3 of the third and final Test match in Sydney. It was the last ball of the first over of Pakistan's second innings in which Starc bowled a sensational inswinger to send Shafique packing. The left-arm pacer bowled a fuller delivery that was pitched outside off stump. The ball that was bowled at 143.5 kmph swung viciously into Shafique who had already committed to play in on the front foot. The extra swing found the bat-pad gap and rattled the stumps.

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.

"Everyone Was Slightly Surprised": Mitchell Starc On Pakistan's Lack Of Pace In 1st Test Against Australia

Australia's experienced left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc was "surprised" to see Pakistan's lack of pace in the first Test which was one of the most talked about points. Pakistan are quite restricted in terms of putting up a quality pace bowling line-up with Naseem Shah nursing an injury and Haris Rauf opting out of the Test series. Without experience, the majority of the burden fell on Shan Masood's deputy Shaheen Shah Afridi, but even he struggled to generate pace. "I think everyone was slightly surprised at the lower pace of the Pakistan bowlers, when you're generally used to some guys getting in the 150s [kph]. I don't think that pace is the be all and end all but it certainly plays a part and can help," Starc said, speaking to media as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

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.

"Now It Seems Like Wow...": KKR CEO On Massive Mitchell Starc Bid In IPL 2024 Auction

Mitchell Starc on Tuesday became the costliest player in the IPL history after Kolkata Knight Riders snapped him for a whopping Rs 24.75 crore in the auction and the team's CEO Venky Mysore justified the price tag, saying the Australian speedster "was a preferred player from the skill-set standpoint". Not long after Australia captain Pat Cummins fetched an unprecedented Rs 20.50 crore from Sunrisers Hyderabad, the KKR raised the bar for a record-breaking bid for Starc, who last played in the IPL in 2015. "... obviously he (Strac) was a preferred player from skill set standpoint. Initially, we were not successful in some of the bids. Maybe that worked in our favour, because we did end up having money to do this. So we're just thankful that we were able to have him on our side," Mysore said.