"Kohli or Bumrah must be thinking what is going on" - Anil Kumble questions signings of Mitchell Starc & Pat Cummins at IPL 2024 auction

Anil Kumble questioned the franchises spending colossal amounts on overseas players after Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc's record-breaking day at the 2024 IPL auction.

Starc and Cummins became the first cricketers in IPL history to go for over ₹20 crore. While Starc set the record at ₹24.75 crore, Cummins was second at ₹20.50 crore. The former was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the latter by the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Speaking to Jio Cinema, Kumble was baffled at the Aussie pair going at higher prices than Indian stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah purely by entering the auction.

"I mean, there is Jasprit Bumrah, right? He is the best all-format bowler in the world but just because he is already with a franchise, he cannot enjoy the perks on being part of an auction process. And someone like Starc, who hasn't had the greatest form in T20Is, is earning a fortune. I can only imagine that someone like Virat Kohli or Bumrah must be watching this and thinking what is going on," said Kumble.

Incidentally, Starc has not played in the IPL since his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2014 and 2015.

Meanwhile, Cummins skipped the IPL last season and played only five games for KKR in 2022 before returning home with a hip injury.

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"Franchise needs to set a limit on the money they will spend on an overseas player" - Anil Kumble

The auction saw overseas players being high demand.

Anil Kumble wanted the franchises to set a cap on the money spent on overseas players during the IPL auction.

Four of the top five most expensive signings were foreign players, with Daryll Mitchell, Alzarri Joseph, and Spencer Johnson drawing massive amounts in addition to Starc and Cummins.

The trio was each purchased for over ₹ 10 crore by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), RCB, and Gujarat Titans (GT), respectively.

"I'm happy for the teams but I really feel that every franchise needs to set a limit on the money they will spend on an overseas player, or the bracket of foreigners. ₹20 crore is a mad amount. I know that these are quality players but Mitchell Starc being offered almost ₹25 crore is pretty surprising to say the least," said Kumble.

Harshal Patel was the only Indian to feature in the top five of the most expensive signings at ₹11.75 crore on an eventful day at the 2024 IPL auction.

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) signed the bowling all-rounder who was released by RCB before the auction.