India, 20 December, 2023 (GNP): Mitchell Starc from Australia has clinched the title of the most expensive signing in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), surpassing the record figure paid for his teammate Pat Cummins at the competition’s auction.
Starc, a left-arm pacer absent from the IPL for eight years, secured a purchase by Kolkata Knight Riders for $2.98 million on Tuesday.
This surpassed the amount paid by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Cummins, who was acquired for $2.46 million.
Prior to this auction, the record signing belonged to England bowler Sam Curran, who joined Punjab Kings for $2.23 million last year.
Just a month after guiding Australia to the 50-overs World Cup title in India, Cummins entered the auction with a base price of 20 million Indian rupees ($240,458).
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Initially, IPL heavyweights Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings showed interest in him, but both withdrew as a two-way bidding war unfolded.
Returning after an eight-year hiatus, the left-arm quick Starc garnered immediate attention as Mumbai and Delhi competed for his services. However, both teams withdrew as bidding intensified, and Kolkata secured the winning bid, triumphing over Gujarat Titans for the 33-year-old.
While the Indian cricket board has not officially announced the dates, it is anticipated that next year’s IPL will likely be held between March and May.
