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Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc admitted that the massive amount in the IPL 2024 auction left him stunned and acknowledged the pressure that comes with it. The left-arm speedster hopes that past IPL experience will hold him in good stead.
Starc became the most expensive player in IPL auction history on Tuesday (December 19), nearly an hour after his fellow countryman Pat Cummins broke that record. The 33-year-old beat Cummins' record of ₹20.50 crore from the SunRisers Hyderabad to fetch ₹24.75 crore from the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Speaking to Jio Cinema, Starc admitted that he never dreamt of going for this amount and hopes he can justify that tag in the extravaganza.
"It was a shock, of course. Nothing I could ever dreamt of. But no doubt, there will be some pressure that comes with that territory. But having that extra experience I have my last IPL, hopefully helps. I've had few ups and downs but this comes with the territory and I try to be successful and have as much impact as possible."
The New South Welshman is in line to break a nine-year hiatus in the lucrative tournament. The Aussie played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2015 and has overall picked up 34 scalps in 27 matches at just over 20 apiece.
"I've been prioritising international and Test cricket for Australia" - Mitchell Starc
The 33-year-old underlined that Australia have a quiet period in the next half year, allowing him to participate in the IPL. The veteran added:
"It has been a while. I've been involved with RCB in 2014-15, then picked up by KKR in 2018, but got injured. But I've been prioritising international and Test cricket for Australia. Coming into the back end of this year and next year, it's much quieter for Australia as a group, so excited to be involved."
The Knight Riders finished seventh with six victories and eight losses in the 2023 edition. The franchise will hope that Aussie speedster's addition will help their cause of winning their third IPL trophy.
