5 players who were sold for surprisingly high prices at the IPL 2024 auction

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction was held in Dubai on Tuesday. While 332 players were shortlisted to go under the gavel, 72 ended up being sold, with 30 of them being overseas players. All the franchises combined spent a total amount of ₹230.45 crore at the auction.

If we look at the top buys from the IPL 2024 auction, Australian left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc broke the record for the most expensive player to be purchased in the history of the tournament. He was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping ₹24.75 crore. Another Australian, Pat Cummins, became the second-most expensive buy in the IPL auction. He was picked up by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for ₹20.50 crore.

While Starc, Cummins, and a few others were expected to be in high demand at the auction, some of the players were purchased for surprisingly high prices. We look at five such names from the list.

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#1 Alzarri Joseph (₹11.50 crore)

West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph (Pic: Getty Images)

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) never cease to amaze - whether at the auction or in the field.

They shelled out as much as ₹11.50 crore for West Indies pace bowler Alzarri Joseph. And while the 27-year-old is a decent cricketer, it was a big surprise to see him among the top-five buys of the IPL 2024 auction.

The right-arm pacer has played 19 matches in the IPL but has only claimed 20 wickets at an average of 28.80 and an economy rate of 9.19. He does hold the record for the best bowling figures in the history of the IPL (6/12), but that came back in 2019.

Joseph was part of Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2022 and 2023 but did not produce anything exceptional. He has an economy rate of 8.50 in T20s, which is a bit of a concern.

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#2 Harshal Patel (₹11.75 crore)

Harshal Patel had a below-par 2023 season. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Punjab Kings (PBKS) went for Indian pacer Harshal Patel, shelling out ₹11.75 crore for him. The death-over specialist had a standout season for RCB in 2021, claiming 32 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 14.34 and an economy rate of 8.14.

Patel had a decent IPL 2022 as well, claiming 19 wickets in 15 matches. However, he was out of sorts in the previous season, picking up 14 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 9.66.

Even in the T20I matches that he played for India before being dropped from the team, he lacked the desired control and looked out of rhythm. As such, a pay of ₹11.75 crore seems a bit too high about cricketing logic.

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#3 Spencer Johnson (₹10 crore)

Australian left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson (Pic: Getty Images)

There was plenty of hype around Australian left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson heading into the IPL 2024 auction.

He had a base price of ₹50 lakh and while one expected him to get decent bids, not many would have put their money on the 28-year-old walking away with a deal worth ₹10 crore.

Johnson has played 20 T20 games so far, picking up 17 wickets at an average of 30.23 and an economy rate of 7.84 with a best of 3/1. His pace is an X factor, but it remains to be seen whether he can live up to the hysteria surrounding him.

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#4 Umesh Yadav (₹5.8 crore)

Umesh Yadav during the IPL 2023 season (Pic: iplt20.com)

Veteran Indian pacer Umesh Yadav was another player who got a bid that was much higher than expected. The 36-year-old was purchased by Gujarat Titans (GT) for an impressive sum of ₹5.8 crore. Yadav has played 141 IPL games, claiming 136 wickets at an average of 30.04 and an economy rate of 8.38.

The fast bowler has a decent record in the T20 league but was completely out of sorts for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2023 season. He played eight matches for the franchise but managed only one wicket at an average of 189 and an economy rate of 9.95.

Yadav did not look effective at all. As such, it is a big surprise that GT spent ₹5.8 crore to purchase him.

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#5 Yash Dayal (₹5 crore)

Yash Dayal was poor for Gujarat Titans in 2023. (Pic: iplt20.com)

Another debatable pick by RCB at the IPL 2024 auction. Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal had a disappointing IPL 2023 season for Gujarat Titans. In nine matches, he picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 9.25. The 26-year-old was clobbered for five consecutive by Rinku Singh in a league game against Kolkata Knight Riders last season.

If we look at Dayal’s T20 numbers, he has claimed 38 wickets in 42 matches at an average of 29 and an economy rate of 8.21. The stats are decent, but there is no particular aspect that stands out.

RCB explained that they are impressed with Dayal’s progress as a bowler, and it remains to be seen if this punt pays off.