"Somebody Will Have To Pay...": Gautam Gambhir On Mitchell Starc's Rs 24.75 Crore IPL 2024 Auction Bid

21.12.2023 - 04:39 sports.ndtv.com

Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir has justified his franchise bidding for Mitchell Starc for a record-breaking amount, saying that the Australia quick will be the X-factor and the leader of the bowling pack.

KKR shelled out a jaw-dropping Rs 24.75 crore to get the services of Starc in the IPL auction in Dubai on Tuesday. "He (Starc) is an X-factor, there is no doubt about that.

Someone who can bowl with the new ball, bowl in the death overs and more importantly, someone who can lead the attack," Gambhir, who was present at the auction, said. "He is going to be of massive help to our two domestic bowlers because both of them are very talented and you need someone to help them out in the middle and Starc covers those bases. "It is not only about his bowling but also about leading the attack and helping all guys around him.

So, somebody will have to pay for it," the former India opener told Jio Cinema. Gambhir, who captained KKR to two IPL titles, said for him having a strong bowling line-up takes precedence over a strong batting line-up. "We have a lot of depth in our bowling line-up.

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A video is going viral on social media in which TV presenter Jatin Sapru could be seen making a funny plea to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir. "Prabhu 2-3 crore dedo (God please give me two to three crore rupess)," Sapru says in the hilarious video, leaving everyone around in splits. The 15-second clip has surfaced online with majority of the people reacting to it with laughing emojis. "Good one," wrote a user. "Wow great memories," was also among the comments on the video.

Watch: "2-3 Crore Dedo" - TV Presenter's Hilarious Plea To KKR Mentor Gautam Gambhir Is Viral

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"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.

"Give Fans Half The Money...": Ex India Pacer Rips Into RCB Post IPL 2024 Auction

Royal Challengers Bangalore, one of the few Indian Premier League franchises yet to win the title, went into the auction on Tuesday with big expectations. But, RCB's strategy fell flat as they missed out on key targets like Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. While RCB have received a thumbs down from fans over some of their recruits in the auction, former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has also criticised for the franchise for its 'elementary mistakes' in attempt to assemble a title-winning squad.

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction in Dubai on Tuesday saw a total of 72 players being sold for a massive amount of Rs. 230.45 crore. All 10 franchises bolstered their ranks considerably with multiple deals in the auction but they can still add players to their squad. According to the IPL rules, teams can take part in swap deals or all-cash deals for cricketers among themselves during the ongoing trade window. The window opened on December 20 - a day after the auction ended - and will now be operational until a month before the start of the 2024 season.