3 2023 World Cup winners who could go for big money in IPL 2024 auction ft. Mitchell Starc

Everyone wants a piece of the World Cup winners, even IPL franchises. Irrespective of the format, gender, and age group, World Cup-winning players get a special kind of attention in private leagues around the world.

England's Sam and Tom Curran, Eoin Morgan, and Jason Roy all got that advantage after the 2019 World Cup. The 2023 champions, Australia, can enjoy the same too.

Although most Australian first-choice players are already part of IPL franchises, some big names are expected to be back in the mix for IPL 2024.

Below we have picked up three such names and explained why they could make some teams break the bank for them:

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#3 Pat Cummins

Australia's World Cup-winning skipper Pat Cummins had a lot of clouds of doubt over him after the team suffered two back-to-back losses at the start. His bowling blew hot and cold and questions were raised on his ODI skills.

He put all that and more to bed with 15 wickets at the end of the tournament, averaging 34.33. His dismissal of Virat Kohli in the final displayed the exact skill he possesses - the ability to create moments of brilliance and lead from the front against the best players of the opposition.

If an IPL team can use him well, i.e., sparingly in powerplay and more as a three-over guy in middle and death overs, he'd be a brilliant addition to any side. Not only his leadership qualities, Cummins also brings an under-appreciated batting ability which has only gotten better with time.

He showed that for Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians with a 14-ball half-century in 2022 and against Afghanistan in the World Cup with a brilliant second-fiddle role to the rampaging Glenn Maxwell.

The pacer was the most expensive signing of IPL 2020. He might not be worth ₹15.50 crore this year but he could certainly go for big money to the right team.

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#2 Mitchell Starc

Both Cummins and Mitchell Starc pulled out of the previous IPL to prepare for the Ashes and the World Cup. Now with the T20 World Cup coming up next year, both are likely to throw their names in the hat to impress national selectors back home.

Starc hasn't played in the IPL since 2015. In 2014 and 2015, he was among the best bowlers of the tournament, taking 34 wickets across 27 matches at an average of 20.38. His ability to bowl in any phase of the match is unparalleled, even though his form has been a bit up and down of late.

In the World Cup, he took 16 wickets from 10 matches at 33 apiece. He didn't start the tournament too well but improved immensely in the second half and strung together a few consistent performances, including his figures of 3/55 in the final.

Teams like Mumbai Indians, who may or may not have their strike pacer Jofra Archer back in time for IPL 2024, could look at him. Other teams with decent purses might consider releasing their strike overseas bowlers to get Starc in too.

Some franchises might be wary to sign the left-arm quick given his history with injuries but if assurances arrive from the player's camp, he could be the perfect leader for the pace attack of almost every franchise in the IPL.

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#1 Travis Head

If you get a chance to sign Player of the Match of a World Cup final and semi-final, you don't miss it. Travis Head is not only that but Australia's best averaging ODI batter in 2023, and the second-best run-scorer in Tests and T20Is.

He's the full package: a brilliant player of spin in Indian conditions, habitual to playing good pace, can bat anywhere in the order, bowls more than handy few overs of leg-spin (great on dry tracks), and fields decently well too. He also has a good leadership record behind him from the Big Bash League.

He expectedly went unsold in the previous auction because that came after a run of inconsistent form. This time he is 'the' big-match player going around. A lot of teams might look to get him for his mentality alone. Don't be surprised if Head is the highest-paid overseas signing in the IPL 2024 auction.