The buzz around the Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction revolved mainly around the change in captaincy, with Hardik Pandya taking over from Rohit Sharma. Hardikโs sensational move from Gujarat Titans to MI before the auction marked the end of Rohitโs ten-year captaincy tenure. During the auction, a fan raised concerns about Rohitโs role, and MI owner Akash Ambani assured, โDo not worry, he will bat,โ responding to the fan at the IPL 2024 mini-auction, as captured in a video shared by the franchise on social media.
In a historic move, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a staggering Rs 24.75 crores. This happened just hours after his captain, Pat Cummins, surpassed the Rs 20 crore mark when picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), making him the costliest player in IPL history at the Dubai auction on Tuesday.
Previously, Englandโs all-rounder Sam Curran held the record as the most expensive IPL player, having been acquired by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 18.50 crore in the previous yearโs auction, according to Olympics.com.
Also Read: Kohli Rs 42 Cr, Bumrah 35 Cr: Unfair Mega Deals To Starc And Cummins
At the IPL 2024 auction, 332 players from 13 different countries were up for bidding. Among them, 216 were Indian players. After factoring in player retention, releases, and trades, the 10 participating teams in the IPL 2024 auction had a total of 77 spots available, including 30 overseas player quotas.
However, only KKR (23) and RR (22) opted not to utilize their full quota of 25 players, resulting in the selection of 72 players throughout the bidding process. Notably, all thirty international player slots were filled.
Apart from Starc and Cummins, who initiated the 20 crore club in the IPL, other players who commanded premiums of 10 crore or more at the IPL 2024 auction included New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell (Rs 14.00 cr to CSK), Indian pacer Harshal Patel (Rs 11.75 cr to PBKS), West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph (Rs 11.50 cr to RCB), and pacer Spencer Johnson (Rs 10 cr to GT).
