“Are you serious? At That Cost?” The Real Deal on Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins’ IPL Fortune

During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction, something unprecedented occurred. Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore, Kolkata Knight Riders) and Pat Cummins (Rs 20.50 crore, SunRisers Hyderabad) both achieved historic firsts by breaking the Rs 20 crore barrier twice. Responses to such enormous wages were not all the same. Some defended the asking amount, while others questioned if the two really merited such a large offer. Ab de Villiers, the legend of Royal Challengers Bangalore and South Africa, seems amused at such a hefty fee.

“A few extremely wise purchases. The Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and other successful IPL teams also do well at the auction. Instead of acting on impulse, they make informed decisions. Even if Cummins and Starc are amazing players, at that price? (laughs) It only illustrates the need. In a recent Q&A session, AB De Villiers said that there was a need for fast bowlers in this year’s auction and that prices rise in response to increased demand.

The five-time champion Mumbai Indians were commended by the South African for their astute purchases.

“Two outstanding players: Dilshan Madushanka and Nuwan Thushara. Additionally, considering their price, Mohammad Nabi and Shreyas Gopal are two excellent purchases. They have a lot to offer you. They performed rather well, in my opinion. Jasprit Bumrah will provide food for all the young bowlers. I like Coetzee, Madushanka, and Thushara’s appearances,” he said.

“I met Gerald Coetzee maybe six or seven years ago. He seemed to be around eighteen or nineteen, and he really impressed me. He exuded a lot of presence and steam. In that game, he was right in my face. He’s just heading to the Mumbai Indians for a cool five crore. Although it is a sizable sum of money, this was a great deal when compared to certain other players.”

Star of Royal Challengers Bangalore Dinesh Karthik, who was kept on by the team before to the IPL 2024 auction, said that overseas players and their representatives exploit the mini-auction in a cunning way to get some ‘absurd, unheard of sums’.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for players to enter MINI auctions right away, and I think international players and their representatives take advantage of this by finding a way around it. In a recent video for @cricbuzz, I provided a few alternatives, and I believe BCCI can effectively address this issue,” Karthik wrote on X.

He said in the video that the third trend is harmful. I have seen that players and agents exploit the mini-auction extremely shrewdly, bringing them in and bidding for outrageous and unprecedented amounts, knowing that the teams arrive with large sums of money and need to fill voids. As a result, the price explodes to a whole new level.

“Let’s now use Jasprit Bumrah as an example. At 11 crore, he is. A few bowlers who participated in the small auction sold for really high prices. Sam Curran and Cameron Green did it last year. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are to blame this year, and it’s not their fault. They are just putting their nation, their cricket, and their appearance first. Additionally, it’s a bit of a ploy since they choose to participate in the small auction that takes place the next year rather than the main sale. They take advantage of the gaps and charge outrageous prices. The unhealthy tendency has to stop.