IPL most expensive players: List of top 10 costliest buys in history of Indian Premier League auction.
Premier League (IPL) as the most expensive player in history. Kolkata Knight Riders secured his services with a whopping bid of Rs 24.75 crore in Tuesday's players' auction. Starc surpassed the previous record held briefly by Australia captain Pat Cummins, who was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50 crore.
Cummins, fresh off leading Australia to victory in the 50-overs World Cup in India, had a base price of Rs 2 crore.
Initially, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings showed interest in him, but they dropped out as a bidding war ensued. Royal Challengers Bangalore also pursued Cummins, but it was Hyderabad who secured the fast bowler's services. The previous highest bid at the IPL auction was for England all-rounder Sam Curran, who was bought by Punjab Kings for Rs 18.5 crore last year.
Cummins' acquisition also provides leadership options for Hyderabad, although head coach Daniel Vettori remained tight-lipped about that possibility. Vettori stated, «There's a lot of cricket left before the IPL. We'll make a decision closer to that time.» Mitchell Starc, a left-arm quick, returned to the IPL after an eight-year gap and generated considerable interest from Mumbai and Delhi.
However, as the bidding intensified, both teams retreated, and Kolkata emerged as the winning bidder for the 33-year-old. Kolkata's CEO, Venky Mysore, explained their aggressive pursuit of Starc, saying, «You should expect this. Because IPL is growing, salary caps will grow, and so will player fees.»
Chennai also made a significant purchase, acquiring New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell for Rs 14 crore, which is ten times his base price.
