AB de Villiers, the former South African cricketer, recently questioned the IPL Auction bid made by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
Starc and Cummins, Australian fast bowlers, grabbed attention during the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai by securing deals worth ₹24.75 crore and ₹20.50 crore, respectively, making history as the most expensive purchases ever in an IPL auction.
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During a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, De Villiers was asked about Mumbai Indians’ shrewdness compared to KKR and SRH in the IPL 2024 auction. He agreed, expressing his thoughts on the matter.
“I couldn’t agree more. Some very smart buys. Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and other successful IPL teams make clever choices, avoiding emotional bids. Cummins and Starc are incredible, but really, for that price?” he questioned.
“It just shows you the demand. There was a high demand for fast bowlers in this year’s auction, and as demand surged, so did the prices,” he added.
Mitchell Starc clinched the title of the most expensive IPL player when KKR bagged him for ₹24.75 crore. An intense bidding war between KKR and Gujrat Titans occurred, with the former emerging victorious.
Starc surpassed his teammate Pat Cummins, who was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹20.5 crore after a fierce battle among Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Hyderabad. This marked the first time the 20-crore mark was crossed in an IPL Auction bid.
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