As one would have anticipated, the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction saw some incredible acquisitions as teams competed for top-notch talent to bolster their squads. With franchises shelling out hefty sums, the most notable acquisitions were Australian pacer Mitchell Starc and uncapped Indian 20-year-old Sameer Rizvi.
Here is a look at the 10 most expensive players at the auction, who commanded staggering sums whilst making headlines and shattering records:
1. Mitchell Starc to Kolkata Knight Riders (Price: Rs 24.75 Crore)
Australian pacer Mitchel Starc scripted history as he became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League after the speedster was bagged by Kolkata Knight Riders for a record-breaking sum of Rs 24.75 crore.
The 33-year-old initially sparked a bidding war between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians with KKR and Gujarat Titans also joining in to take the bid to Rs 9.80 crore. Eventually Delhi and Mumbai had to bow out and it was down to the two franchises that had the most money left before Gujarat also exited the bidding to let Gambhir's Kolkata bag the league's most expensive player.
Starc's purchase broke the record for the most expensive player in the league's history, that was created just an hour earlier by Sunrisers Hyderabad when they bought Australia captain Pat Cummins for a sum of Rs 20.50 crore.
2. Pat Cummins to Sunrisers Hyderabad (Price: Rs 20.50 Crore)
Leading your national team to a victory in The Ashes, the World Test Championship and the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup has it's perks, ask Pat Cummins.
The star all-rounder broke Sam Curran’s (Rs 18.5 crore) record for the most-expensive player in IPL history when he went under the hammer in the first session of the 2024 IPL auction.
Initially, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings engaged in a bidding battle for Cummins but the former withdrew at Rs 4.80 crore. RCB then entered the contest and made a strong bid for the Australian star. Hyderabad, however, persisted in pushing and eventually secured his signature for an incredible Rs 20.50 crore.
3. Daryl Mitchell to Chennai Super Kings (Price: Rs 14 Crore)
New Zealand batter Daryll Mitchell was sold to Chennai Super Kings for a hefty sum of Rs 14 crore. Following the initial battle between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, Chennai entered the bidding war at Rs 12 crore and eventually bagged the Kiwi stroke-maker.
With this price tag, the 32-year-old became the third most expensive purchase in the 2024 IPL Auction.
Even though Mitchell has played just 2 IPL games, scoring 33 runs for Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 season, his outing in the recent ICC ODI World Cup made him a big attraction coming into the auction. The Kiwi batter had scored 552 runs at an average of 69.00 and a powerful strike rate of 111.07 in just nine innings.
4. Harshal Patel to Punjab Kings (Price: Rs 11.75 Crore)
After being acquired by Punjab Kings for Rs 11.75 crore, Harshal Patel emerged as the most expensive Indian purchase of the 2024 IPL auction.
Gujarat Titans opened the bidding process, at his base price of Rs 2 crore, with Punjab then entering the contest. The bid crossed the Rs 10 crore mark just with these two teams raising their paddles till Gujarat finally withdrew.
After the 2023 season, the medium-pacer was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore for whom he began his IPL journey before switching to Delhi Capitals in 2018 . The 33-year-old returned to Bangalore in 2021 and took home the Purple Cap that season after taking 32 wickets in 15 games and added 19 wickets in 2022.
5. Alzarri Joseph to Royal Challengers Bangalore (Price: Rs 11.50 Crore)
Following a fierce battle between the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings for the West Indies fast Alzarri Joseph, the Royal Challengers Bangalore entered the race and emerged victorious, paying Rs 11.50 crore for the bowler.
Prior to the IPL 2024 auction, the Antiguan bowler was released by the Gujarat Titans (GT) who had bought him for Rs 2.4 crore. He had been instrumental in their 2022 IPL championship run, taking 14 wickets in 16 games.
When looking back on Joseph's remarkable IPL career, his 2019 Mumbai Indians debut sticks out as a pivotal event. As a replacement for an injured player, Joseph turned up a scorching spell that is still remembered in IPL history, bowling an incredible 6/12 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the best figures in league history, leading Mumbai Indians to an incredible 40-run victory.
6. Spencer Johnson to Gujarat Titans (Price: Rs 10 Crore)
Gujarat Titans acquired young Australian pacer Spencer Johnson for a staggering sum of Rs 10 crore after being involved in a bidding war with Delhi Capitals in the accelerated round of the auction.
The South Australian bowler gained notoriety in January of this year after a stellar BBL stint with the Brisbane Heat. Even though the bowler only claimed nine wickets, he was considered one of the BBL's breakout talents.
Following an outstanding campaign for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred, Johnson was called up for the first time to the national team in August for the T20Is in South Africa. In September, the 27-year-old made his ODI debut against India.
7. Sameer Rizvi to Chennai Super Kings (Price: Rs 8.40 Crore)
20-year-old Sameer Rizvi was purchased by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 8.40 crore, making him the most expensive uncapped player of the 2024 IPL auction.
He had CSK lift their paddle for him right away, having started at a base price of Rs 20 lakh. Gujarat Titans then stepped into the bidding war, and it reached a maximum amount of Rs 7.60 crore prior to Gujarat's withdrawal. Delhi, however, entered the market late and paid Rs 7.80 crore, but Chennai got Rizvi as they forked out Rs 8.40 crore for the player.
8. Rilee Rossouw to Punjab Kings (Price: Rs 8 Crore)
Delhi Capitals, who had released South Africa's Rilee Rossouw for Rs 4.60 crore following the 2023 season, found themselves pitted against Punjab Kings in a bidding war for the batter at the 2024 IPL auction. The Protea eventually went to Punjab Kings’ kitty for Rs 8 Crore.
Notably, Rossouw participated in the 2011 and 2014 tournaments with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team.
Renowned for his ability to rotate strikes and hit cleanly, he has a track record of success in T20 leagues across the globe. Additionally, he has scored two hundreds in 29 T20I outings.
9. Sharukh Khan to Gujarat Titans (Price: Rs 7.40 Crore)
With a base price of Rs 40 lakh, uncapped Indian all-rounder Shahrukh Khan was purchased for Rs 7.40 crore, making him the most expensive acquisition made by Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2024 auction.
He joined the league in 2021 after being acquired by the Punjab Kings for Rs 5.25 crore, however he was let go at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign. As teams engaged in bidding war for the explosive all-rounder, it was his former team who opened the bid but Gujarat emerged as the winner.
Shahrukh has appeared in 33 IPL matches and has amassed 426 runs at an average of 20.29 and a strike rate of 134.81.
10. Rovman Powell to Rajasthan Royals (Price: Rs 7.40 Crore)
In what was the first purchase of the IPL 2024 Auction, Rajasthan Royals (RR) acquired West Indies batter Rovman Powell for Rs 7.40 crore.
Powell is a powerful hitter who was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 20 lakh in 2017 but he did not make it to the playing XI of the side in that season.
However, he gained notoriety in the IPL 2022 after being acquired by the Delhi Capitals (DC) for Rs 2.80 crore. In fourteen games, Powell scored 250 runs at a strike rate of 149.70.
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