Top 5 Unforeseen Incidents at the IPL 2024 Auction (Photo Source: Twitter)
The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction held in Dubai created history with some exceptional events. The league also saw its first auction held overseas after 16 years of its inception. Mallika Sagar, who hosted the business extravaganza, became the first female auctioneer in the history of the IPL auctions.
Apart from these two extraordinary facts, the auction hit the headlines for some outstanding business transactions and also errors from a couple of franchises. Discussing those matters in detail, let’s know five unexpected moments that occurred during the notable business event in Dubai.
Here are five unexpected moments that happened during the 2024 IPL auction:
5. Sameer Rizvi becomes the most expensive uncapped player
Sameer Rizvi (Photo Source: Twitter)
Uttar Pradesh’s Sameer Rizvi hit the headlines for becoming the costliest uncapped player in the auction. He was sold to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 8.4 crore. The Chennai-based outlet defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) and Delhi Capitals (DC) to add the 20-year-old to their team.
Rizvi also equalled the record of Varun Chakravarthy, who became the most expensive uncapped player who didn’t play a single game in IPL. In domestic cricket, Rizvi has played 11 T20s for Uttar Pradesh and has scored 295 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 134.70.
4. Mitchell Starc gets the most expensive player tag
Mitchell Starc (Photo Source: twitter)
Australia’s Mitchell Starc was fetched for a staggering amount of INR 24.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 IPL auction. Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Gujarat Titans (GT) also bid for the Aussie speedster but eventually, the two-time IPL champions became successful in reserving his services.
The left-handed bowler will make a comeback in IPL after nine years. In the cash-rich league, he has clinched 34 wickets in 27 games at a frugal economy of 7.17. The 33-year-old looked magnificent with the ball in the 2023 World Cup, picking up 16 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 6.06.
3. In the history of auctions, a player reached the 20-crore mark for the first time
Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
In the marquee business event, two Australia players crossed the INR 20-crore mark. The Aussie captain Pat Cummins was snapped up for INR 20.50 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). With the huge amount, he also surpassed England’s Sam Curran to become the costliest player in IPL. With this record, Cummins also became the first player to receive more than INR 20-crore contract in the league.
A few moments later, Starc overtook Cummins and became the most expensive player in the history of IPL. As discussed earlier, Starc went to KKR team for a whopping sum of INR 24.75 crore. After witnessing these massive deals, cricket enthusiasts are eagerly waiting to witness the performances of both speedsters.
2. Sumit Kumar goof-up shatters some hearts
Sumit-Kumar. (Photo Source: Twitter)
During the accelerated round of the auction, Jharkhand’s wicketkeeper batter Sumit Kumar’s name was displayed on the screen. Delhi Capitals and KKR raised their paddles for him and in the end, the former won the fierce bidding contest after spending INR 1 crore from their wallet.
However, after a few moments, it was revealed that DC bought another Sumit Kumar, who plays as an all-rounder for Haryana in domestic cricket. The blunder left Jharkhand’s Sumit and his family despondent as the cricketer and his family started getting congratulatory messages from their friends and relatives.
1. Punjab Kings (PBKS) confusion over Shashank Singh
Shashank-Singh. (Photo Source: Twitter)
In the auction, Punjab Kings (PBKS) reported that they acquired the 32-year-old Chattisgarh batter Shashank Singh for INR 20 lakh in the accelerated round. However, the franchise later issued a clarification, saying, that Shashank was always on its target list. The confusion occurred due to the availability of two players of the same name in the auction.
Along with Chattisgarh’s Shashank, a 20-year-old Shashank Singh was also a part of the auction which caused anxiety in the PBKS camp. After the entire incident, PBKS welcomed Shashank to their team through a social media post.
