Starc breaks Cummins' record with monster IPL payday

Mitchell Starc has blown Australian teammate Pat Cummins' Indian Premier League auction record out of the park with a ridiculous A$4.43 million (24.75 crore) payday.

Kolkata Knight Riders eventually got their man – six years after first scoring a winning bid for Starc – by outlasting Gujarat Titans. Mumbai Indians and Ricky Ponting's Delhi Capitals started the bidding war before both dropped out as the amounts passed the 10 crore mark.

Cummins had set the all-time purchase record just an hour earlier when Sunrisers Hyderabad edged out Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in a four-way contest to secure the Aussie skipper for A$3.67 million (20.5 crore).

At that price, Cummins went past Sam Curran as the most expensive IPL buy of all-time after the Punjab Kings splashed 18.5 crore for the English allrounder in last year's auction.

Cummins already held the title of the second most expensive Australian purchase behind Cameron Green last year (17.5 crore, A$3.15m) after the Knight Riders spent 15.5 crore (A$3.16m) in 2020.

The 30-year-old joins World Cup final hero Travis Head at the Sunrisers – who are coached by Aussie assistant Daniel Vettori – after they edged out the Super Kings for 6.8 crore (A$1.21m).

IPL's most expensive Australian buys 

 

Mitchell Starc: A$4.43m (24.75 crore) Kolkata Knight Riders, 2024

 

Pat Cummins: A$3.67m (20.5 crore) Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2024 

 

Cameron Green: A$3.15m (17.5 crore) Mumbai Indians, 2022 

 

Pat Cummins: A$3.16m (15.5 crore) Kolkata Knight Riders, 2020 

 

Glenn Maxwell: A$2.52m (14.25 crore) RCB, 2021 

 

Jhye Richardson: A$2.48m (14 crore) Punjab Kings, 2021 

 

Steve Smith: A$2.3m (12 crore) Rajasthan Royals 2018 

 

David Warner: A$2.3m (12 crore) Sunrisers Hyderabad. 2018 

 

*AUD conversions correct at time of auction 

Meanwhile, Steve Smith was unable to attract any bids in the first set and went unsold, as did Josh Hazlewood and Josh Inglis.

A key part of Chennai's title-winning team in 2021, Hazlewood was due to be unavailable for part of the 2024 tournament due to the birth of his first child, a factor that likely impacted his non-selection.

In another surprise on the night, however, Spencer Johnson capped an already incredible 2023 by being sold to Gujarat Titans for A$1.78m.

Twelve months ago the left-arm quick emerged as a breakout star in KFC BBL|12, and since then has starred in the UK Hundred competition and made his ODI and T20I debuts for Australia.

He joins last season's finalists Gujarat to bolster a bowling attack already featuring Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan.

Fellow fast bowler Jhye Richardson was also sold for A$890,000 to Delhi Capitals (joining Mitch Marsh and David Warner at the franchise), while Perth Scorchers teammate Ashton Turner was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants for A$178,000.

Starc will return to the world's foremost domestic T20 league in 2024 for the first time since 2015 after opting not to enter the auction for the past five years.

He was previously picked up in the 2014 auction for A$888,000 by Royal Challengers Bangalore and the left-armer played two seasons with that club before missing the 2016 tournament due to injury.

Starc chose to not enter the 2017 auction, which saw English left-armer Tymal Mills purchased for an eye-watering fee of A$2.3 million (Starc ultimately would have missed the tournament anyway due to injury).

Having been bought by the Kolkata for A$1.8m in 2018, Starc again missed out due to an injury, which sparked a protracted legal battle with an insurance firm that was finally settled in 2020.

He joined most of Australia's players in skipping the 2019 tournament ahead of that year's ODI World Cup in England, and in 2020 Starc again chose to not participate despite attracting interest from several franchises.

He opted out of putting his name forward for the auction for the past three tournaments but did concede previously he "was a click of the button away" from entering again, but ultimately spending April-May at home with wife Alyssa Healy, who has her own increasingly hectic cricket calendar, proved too much of a lure.

Healy will also play in the Women's Premier League next year having been snapped up by UP Warriorz for A$126,000 in the inaugural action last year.

"It was a shock, of course," Starc told the host broadcaster.

"My wife Alyssa is with the women’s team in India, so she was getting updates quicker than what I was seeing on screen.

"Our Test squad WhatsApp group has been going off to say it’s our shout to get dinner next.

"No doubt there’ll be some pressure that comes with the territory, but having the extra experience I have from my last IPL hopefully helps."

Cummins will also return IPL in 2024 after pulling out of this year's competition with Kolkata due to a heavy international workload that included an India Test tour, World Test Championship final, the Ashes and the ODI World Cup.

Chennai started the bidding for the superstar quick at his base price of 2 crore, going toe-to-toe with Mumbai in the early stages before Bangalore and Hyderabad – who entered 8 crore – entered late to spark the four-way tussle and push his price beyond record.

Both he and Starc have indicated next year's IPL season would serve as ideal preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup, forecast to commence only days after the IPL final.

"I feel like I haven't played a heap of T20 cricket and in some ways, I feel like I haven't played my best T20 cricket for a little while," Cummins said.

"I'm really excited … for next year to try to get some games before that World Cup and push a case to not only make the side but get back to how I feel like I can bowl in T20 cricket."

Cummins last played in the IPL for KKR in 2022 where he smashed the fastest men's T20 half-century by an Australian from 14 balls but finished the tournament with a bowling economy rate of 10.69 from his five matches.

"Pumped to be joining SRH for the upcoming IPL season," Cummins said in a video on the Sunrisers' Instagram page.

"I've heard a lot about the Orange Army. I've played in Hyderabad a few times and always loved it, so can't wait to get started.

"Great to see another Aussie in Trav Head over there as well.

"I think we are going to have a lot of fun this season and hopefully plenty of success."

Australians in IPL 2024 

Delhi Capitals: Mitch Marsh (A$1.2m), David Warner (A$1.16m), Jhye Richardson (A$890,000)

Gujarat Titans: Spencer Johnson (A$1.78m), Matthew Wade (A$446,000) 

Kolkata Knight Riders: Mitchell Starc (A$4.43m)

Lucknow Super Giants: Marcus Stoinis (A$1.7m), Ashton Turner (A$178,000)

Mumbai Indians: Tim David (A$1.53m), Jason Behrendorff (A$135,000) 

Punjab Kings: Nathan Ellis (A$135,000) 

Rajasthan Royals: Adam Zampa (A$270,000) 

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Cameron Green (A$3.15m), Glenn Maxwell (A$2m) 

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (A$3.67m), Travis Head (A$1.2m) 

*Prices in AUD, conversions correct at time of auction