Mitchell Starc and World Cup stars in spotlight at IPL 2024 auction

With a combined purse of $31.5 million, the 2024 IPL player auction on Tuesday is set to make a few lucky players very happy.

A total of 333 players will go under the hammer as the 10 franchises look to fill 77 slots. And, as is the case almost every year, World Cup performances will have a big bearing on the way the auction moves.

Last time, England all-rounder Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history as he went to Punjab Kings for a staggering sum of 185 million Indian rupees ($2.23 million) following a successful T20 World Cup in Australia.

This time, Australian players are set to be in high demand as they did superbly during the ODI World Cup, defeating India in the final. Also, most of them are available as players will be also be using the IPL as preparation for the T20 World Cup in June.

Franchises are expected to place more value on this World Cup's performances, even if it was a different format, as the conditions will be the same in the IPL.

So, here are the players who are likely to attract top bids at the IPL 2024 auction.

The Australian captain is the complete package. Having opted out of the 2023 IPL because of a packed schedule, he is set to return after taking Australia to World Cup glory in India last month.

The Australian quick, 30, who previously made an auction record of $2.17 million when he signed with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019, will enter with a top base price of $240,000.

Joining Cummins in the race for a big payday are his World Cup teammates Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, and others.

Among them, Starc is likely to attract the most attention. The left-arm quick is returning to the league after a eight-year gap as he gears up for the T20 World Cup in the