The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the greatest show of domestic cricket in the cricketing world. This tournament adorned with glitz and glamour attracts the top players from the best cricketing nations of the world. The auction for the players is an occasion which captures the imagination of the cricket enthusiasts. The IPL auction 2024 held in Dubai on December 19, 2023. This was a record breaking show which saw some of the best players in the world bought at the most premium of prices. The newly crowned Australians grabbed the headlines, there were also a few surprises up and down the list. Let’s delve deep into the realms of the top stars ready to take centre stage at the greatest show of cricket.
Most Expensive Players in IPL Auction 2024
Mitchell Starc smashed the record fee for an IPL player with a whopping price of 24.75 crore Indian rupees. Here is an extensive list of the most expensive buys in 2024 IPL auction:
10. Rovman Powell
| Nationality | West Indian, Jamaican |
| Age | 30 |
| Batting Style | Right hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm medium fast |
| Strengths | Slogging, good bowling option |
| Previous IPL Teams | Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Base Price (Crore) | 1.00 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 7.40 |
The Rajasthan Royals were looking for a player who could have a bit of firepower in the middle of their batting order. The Windies all-rounder Rovman Powell caused the team from North India a whopping 7.4 crore. The bombastic Jamaican native is a force of nature who can smash the ball all over the park. Powell has an impressive strike rate of 142.65 in T20Is. The 30-year-old player was a fixture on the Delhi Capitals team sheet; he helped his former side score quick runs during the final overs. Rovman is an experienced campaigner who is comfortable facing the pacers. His glaring weakness against spin bowling can cause some headaches in the Rajasthan camp. However, Powell can be a useful fifth bowling option if needed.
9. Masood Shahrukh Khan
| Nationality | Indian |
| Age | 28 |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm offbreak |
| Strengths | Power hitting, finishing the innings |
| Previous IPL Teams | Punjab Kings |
| Base Price (Crore) | 0.40 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 7.40 |
Shahrukh Khan might not be as famous as his Bollywood namesake, but the Tamil Nadu native has been hailed as one of the top talents in the domestic circuit. The Gujarat Titans was looking to replace the batting prowess of Hardik Pandya, so they chose to dish out a hefty amount for the talented right hander.
Shahrukh Khan hasn’t been able to live up to his massive potential and this might be his last chance to prove his worth. It might be the last chance for the player to showcase his immense talent. The Titans are famous for nourishing young talents over the years, so Shahrukh would be in good hands in the next IPL tournament.
8. Rilee Rossouw
| Nationality | South African |
| Age | 34 |
| Batting Style | Left hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm off break |
| Strengths | Hitting ability, fluent batting style |
| Previous IPL Teams | Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| Base Price (Crore) | 2.00 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 8.00 |
Rilee Rossouw could have had an illustrious international career for the South African national team. Yet his number of T20I is limited to only 29. The Kolpack deal he signed with Somerset virtually killed his chances to represent the Proteas. He did find his way back to the national side after Brexit.
The southpaw power hitter has accumulated 767 runs at an average of 34.86, striking at a staggering rate of 159.79. Rossouw is at the back end of his career at mid-30s. Rossouw can hit the ball to any direction. He is also capable of building an innings from scratch. The batsman was surprisingly unsold at first, but Punjab Kings went all in during the second time. They will be greatly benefitted by the experience of a man who has played over 300 T20s in his career.
7. Sameer Rizvi
| Nationality | Indian |
| Age | 20 |
| Batting Style | Right hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm off break |
| Strengths | Hitting ability, finishing games |
| Previous IPL Teams | Debut |
| Base Price (Crore) | 0.20 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 8.40 |
Sameer Rizvi has been a surprising package at the 2024 IPL Auction. The young gun hailing from Meerut is a relatively unknown name outside his homeland. However, this boy has the potential to touch the sky. Hailed as the next “Suresh Raina” due to the resemblance of playing style between the two, Rizvi has made his name as a six-hitter in the Indian domestic circuits.
The right-hander was the highest six-hitter in the 2023 UP T20 league where he also scored two centuries. Sameer Rizvi is an aggressive batter who is stronger on the square of the wicket. His strong bottom hand enabled him to hit the long ball all across the ground. There was an almighty tussle in the 2024 IPL Auction among the Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, and Chennai Super Kings, all of whom wanted to secure the services of this prodigious talent. Finally, MS Dhoni’s CSK was able to procure him by breaking the bank. It would be intriguing to see what the role of this young talent will be for his franchise team.
6. Spencer Johnson
| Nationality | Australian |
| Age | 28 |
| Batting Style | Left-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Left arm is medium fast |
| Strengths | Raw pace, good in the death overs |
| Previous IPL Teams | Debut |
| Base Price (Crore) | 0.50 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 10.00 |
Spencer Johnson was never meant to be an IPL cricketer. The landscape gardener from South Australia did not have a Big Bash or state team contract 18 months ago. He suffered a stress fracture in his ODI debut for South Australia back in 2017. This almost killed his chances to play cricket at the highest level. However, the last BBL was the breakthrough tournament for the 6’4” bowler who can bowl at a rapid pace. A left arm pacer named Johnson is all too familiar for the Aussies.
Johnson is an expert in death overs where his variety can prove crucial to the stemstemming flow of runs. The 28 year old has already made his debut for the Australian national side and is likely to be included in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad. The Gujarat Titans had to dish out a lot of cash, so it is time he justified his massive price tag.
5. Alzarri Joseph
| Nationality | Antiguan, West Indian |
| Age | 27 |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm fast |
| Strengths | Pace, wicket-taking |
| Previous IPL Teams | Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans |
| Base Price (Crore) | 1.00 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 11.50 |
Alzarri Joseph made the perfect impression while making his debut for the Mumbai Indians back in 2019. The towering fast bowler recorded the best bowling figures (6/12) by an IPL debutant against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The West Indian was there to replace Adam Milne, and he ended up recording the best figures in the history of the IPL. Joseph has been impressing since his age-level cricket days.
Royal Challengers Bangalore showed plenty of interest in him and he was eventually bought for 11 and a half crore. The sheer pace and bounce of the West Indian can pose challenges for the batters during the early overs.
4. Harshal Patel
| Nationality | Indian |
| Age | 33 |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm medium |
| Strengths | Outswingers, yorkers, slower deliveries |
| Previous IPL Teams | Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| Base Price (Crore) | 2.00 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 11.75 |
Harshal Patel was born in Gujarat, but his cricketing pedigree makes him one of Haryana’s own. The seasoned IPL campaigner from Gujarat is the most expensive Indian buy in the 2024 IPL Auction. The 33 year old is a crafty bowler with a wide range of weapons at his disposal. Patel was the purple cap holder of IPL 2021 by securing 32 wickets, the joint highest in a single tournament.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore regular has found his new home in the Punjab Kings who secured his services by spending Rs. 11.75 million. Patel has seen his IPL salary go 53.75 times higher in just one contract. Harshal Patel can be useful with the bat whenever he needs to have a go with the willow. He needs to hit form ahead of the 2024 T-20 World Cup to put himself in contention for the national team.
3. Daryl Mitchell
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Age | 32 |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm medium |
| Strengths | Hitting ability, building the innings, fifth bowling option |
| Previous IPL Teams | Rajasthan Royals |
| Base Price (Crore) | 1.00 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 14.00 |
Daryl Mitchell is one of the best batsmen in any format right now. The right-hander scored 552 runs at the last World Cup, acting as the linchpin of Kiwi batting. Mitchell averages 50+ in both Test and ODI formats. Chennai Super had to splash out the cash to sign him, but this hefty amount might just be a masterstroke. Mitchell can become the backbone of the Royals batting order.
Mitchell is a wonderful batsman who can hit the ball all across the field. He was one of the four batters who scored 1000+ runs at an average of 50+ while maintaining a strike rate of 100 during the last year. The son of a former rugby player, Mitchell possesses immense strength to clear boundaries. He scored centuries on both occasions at the last World Cup against India. His century in the semi-final created a few nervy moments for the Indian fans. This feat might have just convinced the Chennai camp to go all out for the Kiwi star. Mitchell can also contribute with the ball in hand.
2. Patrick Cummins
| Nationality | Australian |
| Age | 30 |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Right arm fast |
| Strengths | Wicket taker, handy with the bat |
| Previous IPL Teams | Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians |
| Base Price (Crore) | 2.00 |
| Final Price (Crore) | 20.50 |
Patrick Cummins just had the best year among all the cricketers in the world. The captain of the Australian Cricket Team has retained the Ashes and won the World Test Championship. He will also be remembered for being the fifth Australian captain to win the ODI World Cup. He was also a member of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In 2022 IPL, Pat Cummins showed he is a capable batter by storming to a half century after only facing 14 balls. He was also one of the best test performers from last year.
Sunrisers Hyderabad broke the bank to recruit him to their team, setting the record for the highest amount paid for one player in IPL history. Cummins is a capable bowler who is able to produce swing on any given surface in the world. Patrick Cummins might be the most popular man in the Australian sports arena right now. The 30 year old is a born leader who can contribute in every aspect of the team. It would be interesting to see whether he can take his international form to the domestic circuit.
1. Mitchell Starc
| Nationality | Australian |
| Age | 33 |
| Batting Style | Left hand bat |
| Bowling Style | Left arm fast |
| Strengths | Pace, swing, yorker, wicket taker |
| Previous IPL Teams | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| Base Price | 2.00 |
| Final Price | 24.75 |
Mitchell Starc is no longer the bowler he once was. He does not have the same pace or effectiveness. Apart from the semi-final and final, he had an average 2023 World Cup. However, he is still good enough to convince the Kolkata Knight Riders to spend Rs. 24.75 crore for his signature. Starc will be playing in the IPL after seven long years.
The man of the tournament from the 2015 World Cup can produce a swing with the new ball. His toe-crushing yorkers at 145 k/h can put the best of batsmen in jeopardy. Mitch Starc has only played for Royal Challengers Bangalore previously; he has 34 wickets from 27 outings in his short IPL career. It would take something special for the serial winner to justify his astronomical price tag. However, if one man can do it, Mitch Starc could certainly be that man.
Conclusion
The IPL Auction 2024 was one for shattering records, with the Australians dominating throughout the whole event. Some uncapped Indian players also bagged huge contracts as the teams looked to strengthen theirs as much as possible. The IPL 2024 will start on March 23, 2024, with the final scheduled to take place on May 29. This event would work as a stepping stone for the players who are eyeing a spot at the 2024 T-20 World Cup.
