IPL Auction 2024: Top 5 costliest buys

IPL Auction 2024: Top five expensive players from auction. Mitchell Starc (INR 24.75 crore) and Pat Cummins (INR 20.50 crore) became the most expensive buys in the history of IPL.

Mitchell Starc is one of the top five expensive buys in IPL 2024 (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

The IPL player auction held in Dubai on December 19, 2023, ahead of the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has now raised the bar to unmatched heights. The IPL mini-auction shattered all previous records for the most expensive IPL deals. 

Australia's pacers were in high demand as the record for the costliest player in the history of IPL was first broken by Pat Cummins. Soon, other Australia seamer Mitchell Starc claimed the title of the League’s priciest player in history with KKR acquiring the speedster for a whopping amount of INR 24.75 crore. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad also spent a lot in the auction as they bought the Australia World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins at the second-highest price of INR 20.50 crore.

Read More: IPL 2024 Auction: Starc, Cummins, Mitchell, Harshal top bids; MI, RR, SRH look settled on paper

Here are the top 5 expensive buys from IPL 2024 Auction

Mitchell Starc (KKR)

The IPL 2024 auction witnessed history being made as Australia pace sensation Mitchell Starc emerged as the costliest player in the IPL history as two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders spent a fortune on him, acquiring the pacer for an astonishing INR. 24.75 crores. His base price was just INR 2 crore. KKR and Gujarat Titans fought one of the most intense battles in the IPL auction’s history with KKR sealing the deal finally. 

The 33-year-old has not played in the IPL since 2015. He will return to the IPL after eight years. Earlier Mitchell Starc had played only two IPL seasons - in 2014 and 2015 for Royal Challengers Bangalore who had picked him at INR 5 crore. In the 2018 edition also, he was signed by KKR for Rs. 9.40 crore before he opted out due to an injury.

The Knight Riders were in search of a frontline overseas quick bowler and ultimately had their way. Starc’s ability to swing the ball at a high pace, accompanied by changes of speed makes him a valuable asset for Kolkata. 

Read More: IPL Auction 2024: When INR 20 cr mark was breached twice

Pat Cummins was sold to SRH for INR 20.5 crore (Photo: ©ICC/Twitter)

Pat Cummins (SRH)

The current World Cup winning captain Pat Cummins, commanded a massive sum as the Sunrisers Hyderabad roped him for a tremendous amount of INR 20.50 crore. His base price was set at INR 2 crore. He became the second-most expensive player in IPL history. The feat came exactly a month after he led Australia to a World Cup title. Cummins' stellar performance also guided Australia to triumph in the WTC 2023.

The right-arm pacer pulled out of the 2023 auction to focus on his international cricket commitments. Previously he had fetched INR 15.5 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020. 

Pat Cummins could help bring in the solidity in the Sunrisers line-up and is a great addition to the team. Hyderabad is still a young team but have very talented players and now Cummins's inclusion will bring invaluable experience which is worth every cent for them. Besides his bowling skills, he is a great leader and can bat as well, which could be very beneficial for SRH and bring more depth to their batting unit. 

Read More: IPL Auction 2024: From Rachin to Hasaranga - Top 5 steal deals for franchises

Daryl Mitchell (CSK)

Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings strengthened their squad with the addition of Daryl Mitchell for a solid value of INR 14 crore who had an initial base price of INR 1 crore. The keen interest of franchises in the Kiwi batter was powered by his impressive performance in the ODI World Cup 2023 held in India. 

The 32-year-old  player went unsold in last year’s IPL auction, where he was listed at a base price of INR 1 crore. In the year 2022, he was purchased by Rajasthan Royals at his initial price of INR 75 lakh but made only two appearances in the playing XI. 

CSK released the England all-rounder Ben Stokes and India batter Ambati Rayudu who had quit the sport. Finding replacements for these players was the priority for CSK management heading in the auction. With the inclusion of Daryl Mitchell, CSK managed to get a good replacement for one of these players. Alongside his batting strength, Mitchell is a decent seamer too and can be relied upon for crucial breakthroughs which makes him a useful asset. 

Read More: IPL Auction 2024: Rizvi, the right-handed Raina, gets the perfect platform to make it big

Harshal Patel found a new home in Punjab Kings (Photo: ©BCCI/IPL)

Harshal Patel (PBKS)

The India medium pacer Harshal Patel was successfully secured by Punjab Kings at the fourth highest sum of INR 11.75 crore. He surpassed his initial price of INR 2 crore. Patel became the costliest Indian player at the IPL 2024 auction.

Earlier he was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore but Punjab Kings laid trust on him by paying a good amount. Harshal Patel was part of the RCB squad for the last three seasons. They bought him for INR 10.75 crore. He began his IPL journey with RCB before switching to Delhi Capitals in 2018 and then coming back to Bangalore in 2021. The right-arm bowler was the purple cap holder in IPL 2021.

Harshal possesses a wide set of variations that could be handy in the broad boundaries at Mohali. Being an experienced pacer and with the expertise of bowling in the middle overs he will add value to the PBKS squad which may have a good effect. Patel could be used in middle and deathovers and will provide the space to use Arshdeep Singh & Kagiso Rabada in different scenarios. He is an added dimension to the Kings’ bowling attack.

Read More: Hardik Pandya, the new MI skipper: What the future holds for Mumbai

Alzarri Joseph bought by RCB for INR INR 11.5 cr (Images: ©IPL/Twitter)

Alzarri Joseph (RCB)

The Caribbean pacer Alzarri Joseph was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore to bolster their bowling unit for a fee of INR 11.5 crore. His base price was set at INR 1 crore. The bidding war for him unfolded between LSG and RCB with the latter eventually concluding the deal. He became one of their most expensive buys. 

The speedster was released by the Gujarat Titans who acquired him for Rs. 2.4 crore in 2022 and was instrumental in their 2022 IPL championship. He made his IPL debut in 2019 playing for the Mumbai Indians. The 22-year-old broke the 11-year-old record in his debut season securing exceptional figures of 6/12, the best in the history of the IPL.

Alzarri Joseph bowls at a high pace and has got a high release point, so he gets a good bounce that will be very important at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Joseph also has phenomenal death bowling skills. He is a player RCB was looking for. The seamer will be bringing the X-factor to the Royal Challengers squad. 

Read More: IPL 2024: KKR set for a renaissance with Gautam Gambhir's return, this time as Mentor