Dubai: Australian pacer Mitchell Starc laughed his way to the bank and was on Tuesday sold for a staggering Rs 24.75 crore to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the Indian Premier League 2024 auction, which is currently underway here.
He became the most expensive player in the IPL history surpassing his skipper Pat Cummins, who was snapped by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping Rs 20.50 crore earlier in the day. Now the third most expensive player in the cash-rich league is England all-rounder Sam Curran.
There was an initial bidding war between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals for the left-arm pacer, who was part of the 2023 Australian ODI World Cup winning squad. Starc generates good pace and is a key bowler for any skipper. Then Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) jumped into the bidding war and so did Gujarat Titans. He entered the auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore. 33-year-old Starc for the record has earlier played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the iconic Eden Gardens will be his new home.
For the record, Mitchell Starc has played 58 T20s for Australia and snared 73 wickets. He made his T20 debut against Pakistan in Dubai in 2012. It was a joyous moment for Starc and for the KKR. Starc, who was born in Sydney, also played for Australia A and plays for New South Wales.
Meanwhile, an elated Venky Mysore, Managing Director of Kolkata Knight Riders, told Jio Cinema, "He is a more experienced player and it will be fun when he marks his run-up at the Eden Gardens".
