Mitchell Starc & Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Darrian Traynor-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
A total of INR 230 crore were spent on 72 players at the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. Some illustrious players, who looked fabulous in the 2023 World Cup, pulled off lucrative contracts in the auction while a few distinguished veterans such as Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, and Adil Rashid went unsold.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who spent INR 31.35 crore, became the highest spender in the auction. Following the two-time champions, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) splurged INR 30.80 crore from their purse. With big money spent at the event, it is time to know the most expensive player from each side.
Here are the team-wise expensive buys in the IPL 2024 auction:
10. Rajasthan Royals (RR) – Rovman Powell
Rajasthan Royals (RR) bought only five players in the auction, spending INR 14.30 crore. Before the auction, they hit the headlines for trading Devdutt Padikkal for Avesh Khan. Their costliest buy at the event was the West Indies power-hitting batter Rovman Powell, who they bought for INR 7.40 crore.
Powell made his IPL debut in 2022 for Delhi Capitals (DC). The right-handed batter has played 17 matches in the league and scored 257 runs at a strike rate of 146.02. In the previous season, the Caribbean player could amass only seven runs in three matches, following which, DC parted ways with him before the 2024 auction.
His record in T20Is is scintillating as he has amassed 1214 runs in 58 innings of 68 matches at a strike rate of 142.65. Noting his numbers, he might be given the task of playing the role of a finisher in the RR squad, due to his brilliant power-hitting talent.
9. Delhi Capitals (DC) – Kumar Kushagra
Delhi Capitals (DC) went to the auction with a remaining amount of INR 28.95 crore. They spent INR 19.05 crore from their purse and signed up nine players at the marquee event. They got England’s star batter Harry Brook for just INR 4 crore while Australia pacer Jhye Richardso for INR 5 crore.
Jharkhand’s 19-year-old batter Kumar Kushagra got picked up for INR 7.20 crore and became Delhi’s most expensive player. The teen wicketkeeper-batter might be given the job of reinforcing Capitals’ middle order in the upcoming tournament. Discussing Kushagra’s domestic T20 record, the youngster has scored 140 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 117.64.
8. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi warmed benches in the Gujarat Titans’ camp in the entire 2023 season. The 2022 champions released Mavi before the auction and following this move, his name went under the hammer with a base price of INR 50 lakh in the 2024 auction. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bid for him in the auction but the latter became successful in signing him.
The 25-year-old was sold for INR 6.40 crore and with this amount, he also became the LSG’s costliest buy. Mavi plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and he is familiar with Lucknow’s condition as he plays cricket consistently at this venue. The LSG team management would expect Mavi to assist Mark Wood in reinforcing LSG’s pace attack efficiently.
7. Mumbai Indians (MI) – Gerald Coetzee
Ahead of the 2024 auction, Mumbai Indians (MI) were a hot topic among cricket fans for trading Hardik Pandya successfully from Gujarat Titans. In the auction, they purchased eight players with a total sum of INR 16.70 crore. They spent big money to add pacers Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, and Nawan Thushara to the MI squad.
Coetzee was the most expensive player for MI in the auction as the franchise released INR 5 crore from their purse to get him. The South Africa pacer looked fabulous in the 2023 World Cup, grabbing 20 wickets in eight matches at an economy of 6.23. The Proteas stalwart will join Jasprit Bumrah, and Jason Behrendorff to serve MI’s pace attack in the 2024 IPL edition.
6. Gujarat Titans (GT) – Spencer Johnson
Gujarat Titans (GT) snapped up Shahrukh Khan, Umesh Yadav, and Azmatullah Omarzai in the 2024 IPL auction. Besides these well-known figures, one more name that attracted attention in GT’s bought list was Australia’s left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson, who went to the franchise for a huge amount of INR 10 crore. With this price, he became GT’s costliest buy.
Johnson plays for Brisbane Heat in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) and has accumulated 16 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 7.79. The Aussie speedster will add variety to GT squad‘s fast-bowling unit with his left arm pace.
5. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) – Alzarri Joseph
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) traded Australia’s all-rounder Cameron Green from Mumbai Indians (MI) before the closure of the trading window in November. Following this notable deal, Challengers included six more players in the team for INR 20.40 crore from their purse.
After releasing eminent pacers Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel from the squad, they had to get quality speedsters in the team for 2024. At the business event, they got renowned names, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, and Tom Curran. Challengers splurged INR 11.50 crore and beat DC, LSG, and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to include the Caribbean in their 2024 IPL team.
Joseph will have to justify his price as RCB fans will keep their expectations high from him after the big deal. The 27-year-old form Bangalore’s pace attack along with Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, and Cameron Green.
4. Punjab Kings (PBKS) – Harshal Patel
Punjab Kings (PBKS) purchased 2021 Purple Cap winner Harshal Patel for INR 11.75 crore in the auction. The hefty amount made Harshal Punjab’s most expensive purchase at the business extravaganza. The 33-year-old will add strength to Punjab’s pace attack with his vast experience.
With Kagiso Rabada, Sam Curran, and Arshdeep Singh, he can do wonders for the team. Harshal looked in exceptional form in the 2023-24 Vijay Hazare Trophy, bagging 19 wickets for Haryana in 10 matches at an economy of 5.41. The PBKS team management will want Harshal to be at his best in the upcoming tournament.
3. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – Daryl Mitchell
Daryl Mitchell will make a comeback in the cash-rich league after two years as defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) invested INR 14 crore in him in the auction, making the New Zealander CSK’s costliest buy. The Kiwi stalwart was the fifth-leading run-scorer in the 2023 World Cup, notching up 552 runs in nine innings.
CSK faced stiff competition from DC and PBKS on the auction table as these two franchises also went after the 32-year-old. Back in 2022, Mitchell donned RR’s jersey and scored only 33 runs in two matches at a strike rate of 75.00. The 32-year-old will look to grab the opportunity with both hands by delivering extraordinary knocks from his bat to CSK team in the 2024 IPL.
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – Pat Cummins
When Australia skipper Pat Cummins’ name was announced in the 2024 IPL auction, CSK and MI vied with each other to get him. After a few moments, both franchises opted out of the battle and it was witnessed that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and RCB got involved in a bidding contest.
In the end, SRH pulled off the Aussie for a humongous amount of INR 20.50 crore. With this amount, he surpassed England all-rounder Sam Curran and became IPL’s costliest player. However, Cummins couldn’t hold the record as another Aussie stalwart shattered it in the same auction.
Cummins might be seen as a skipper for SRH in the upcoming competition as he guided Australia to the record-extending sixth title victory in the 2023 World Cup. Along with captaincy, the 30-year-old will also strive to bolster SRH’s pace attack with veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the young speedster Umran Malik.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – Mitchell Starc
Australia paceman Mitchell Starc was picked up for a whopping INR 24.75 crore in the auction and became the costliest player in the history of IPL. The two-time IPL champions outplayed GT, DC, and MI in the auction, to get the 33-year-old for the 2024 IPL season. The veteran speedster will spearhead Knight Riders’ pace attack in the upcoming competition.
The lanky pacer looked disciplined with the ball for Australia in the 2023 World Cup. In the Aussie side’s impressive title win, he contributed 16 wickets in 10 games. He will return to the cash-rich T20 tournament after nine years. Back in the 2014 and 2015 IPL seasons, he played for RCB and took 34 wickets in 27 matches. The Aussie quick will look to produce fire with the ball for KKR team in 2024.
