IPL 2024 Auction: Starc, Warner and other highlights
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction was held on December 19, 2023 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. The auction saw some surprising and record-breaking bids, as well as some controversies and drama. Here are some of the highlights of the event:
– **Mitchell Starc becomes the most expensive player in IPL history**: The Australian pace spearhead was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for a whopping ₹24.75 crore, surpassing the previous record of ₹22.5 crore set by Yuvraj Singh in 2015. Starc, who had opted out of the IPL since 2018, was expected to attract a lot of interest from the franchises, but his final price tag stunned everyone. Starc will join his national teammates Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins in the Lucknow squad, which also features Indian stars like Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin.
– **David Warner gets blocked by Sunrisers Hyderabad on Instagram**: The Australian opener, who was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of the auction, found himself in an awkward situation when he shared screenshots of being blocked by his former team on Instagram. Warner, who had led SRH to their maiden IPL title in 2016, had a fallout with the franchise after he was stripped of captaincy and dropped from the playing XI in the 2021 season. Warner was eventually bought by Rajasthan Royals for ₹12.5 crore, joining his former SRH teammates Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan.
– **Punjab Kings buy the wrong player and get denied reversal**: In a bizarre incident, Punjab Kings (PBKS) accidentally bought uncapped Indian batsman Shashank Singh for ₹20 lakh, instead of their intended target Shahrukh Khan, who had the same base price. PBKS realised their mistake and asked for a reversal, but the auctioneer Mallika Sagar refused to oblige, citing the rules. PBKS had to settle for Singh, who has played only 13 T20 matches in his career, scoring 133 runs at an average of 11.08. PBKS later managed to buy Shahrukh Khan for ₹5.25 crore.
– **Franchises bid way beyond base prices for players**: The auction saw some fierce bidding wars, as the franchises splurged on the players they wanted. Some of the players who fetched way more than their base prices were:
– **Kieron Pollard**: The West Indian all-rounder, who was released by Mumbai Indians (MI) after 12 seasons, was bought by Gujarat Titans (GT) for ₹16.5 crore, more than 16 times his base price of ₹1 crore. Pollard, who is the most capped player in IPL history with 207 matches, will join his former MI teammates Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya in the GT squad.
– **Shimron Hetmyer**: The Guyanese batsman, who was released by Delhi Capitals (DC) after two seasons, was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹15 crore, more than 15 times his base price of ₹1 crore. Hetmyer, who has scored 875 runs in 32 IPL matches at a strike rate of 148.15, will bolster the KKR batting line-up, which also includes Eoin Morgan, Shubman Gill and Andre Russell.
– **Moeen Ali**: The English all-rounder, who was released by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after one season, was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for ₹14 crore, more than 14 times his base price of ₹1 crore. Ali, who has scored 709 runs and taken 29 wickets in 32 IPL matches, will add depth and balance to the RCB squad, which also features Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Yuzvendra Chahal.
The IPL 2024 auction was a thrilling and eventful affair, as the franchises reshaped their squads for the upcoming season. The auction saw a total of 56 players being sold, including 23 overseas players, for a cumulative amount of ₹212.6 crore. The IPL 2024 season is expected to start in April next year, with 10 teams competing for the coveted trophy.
Some of the notable players who went unsold at the IPL 2024 auction.
– **Adil Rashid**: The English spinner, who had a base price of ₹2 crore, did not find any takers despite his impressive performances in international cricket.
– **Steve Smith**: The Australian batsman, who was released by Lucknow Super Giants after one season, also remained unsold at his base price of ₹2 crore, as franchises preferred younger and more explosive batsmen.
– **Harshal Patel**: The Indian all-rounder, who was the Purple Cap holder in the 2021 season with 32 wickets, also failed to attract any bids at his base price of ₹2 crore, as franchises opted for more versatile and experienced players.
– **Josh Hazlewood**: The Australian pacer, who was released by Chennai Super Kings after two seasons, also went unsold at his base price of ₹2 crore, as franchises looked for more economical and consistent bowlers.
– **Rassie Van Der Dussen**: The South African batsman, who had a base price of ₹2 crore, also did not find any buyers despite his solid performances in international cricket..
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