Top 5 most expensive overseas signings at IPL 2024 auction ft. Mitchell Starc 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 player auction took place on December 19. The one-day affair, held in Dubai, saw all 10 franchises bolster their teams with players of their liking.

A total of 72 cricketers bagged contracts at the 17th edition of the auction from 77 possible slots. 44 of the selected players were Indians.

The major highlight from the mini-auction was how highly in demand the pace bowlers proved to be throughout. In fact, five of the six most expensive signings at the auction were frontline pace bowlers, with Mitchell Starc being the costliest at ₹24.75 crore.

The 2024 IPL auction witnessed a spectacle like no other. Purses were loosened, bidding wars ignited, and records rewritten. Amidst the adrenaline rush of the bidding wars, overseas stars emerged as the crown jewels.

Overseas players' hefty price tags reflected their undeniable talent and the quality they bring to the cash-rich league.

On that very note, let's take a look at the five costliest overseas purchases at the recently concluded IPL 2024 player auction.

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#1 Mitchell Starc - ₹24.75 crore to KKR

India v Australia - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) created history by breaking their bank and splashing out as many as ₹24.75 crores for the left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc at the mini-auction.

With this, Starc sent all the records out of the window and became the most expensive player in IPL history.

One of the most lethal bowlers of his generation, Starc will feature in the tournament after a gap of nine years.

The Australian premier pacer played his last IPL match for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 2015 edition. He will spearhead the KKR bowling lineup, which also consists of players such as Harshit Rana, Gus Atkinson, Chetan Sakariya, and Vaibhav Arora.

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#2 Pat Cummins - ₹20.50 crore to SRH

India & Australia Net Sessions - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023

Before the historic Mitchell Starc swoop by KKR, Pat Cummins bagged the eyeballs as he became the first-ever player to cross the ₹20 crore mark in IPL history.

A bidding war between the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and RCB thrilled cricket fanatics as the price boosted up over ₹20 crore before Hyderabad signed the Australian captain for ₹20.50 crore.

Hyderabad came in with the biggest purse of ₹34 crore and splashed over 60 percent of their quota of money on Cummins. While Aiden Markram led the team during the IPL 2022 season, there could be a chance for Cummins to be the captain of the franchise this time around.

With the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23, Ashes 2023, and the ODI World Cup 2023 under his belt as a skipper, 2023 has certainly been Pat Cummins' year.

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#3 Daryl Mitchell - ₹14 crore to CSK

India v New Zealand: Semi Final - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023

After letting go Ben Stokes for ₹16.25 crore ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) went in hard for New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell.

While a bidding war between the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) took Mitchell's value towards ₹12 crore, CSK entered the frame and swooped the all-rounder for ₹14 crore.

CSK has a history of taking in players with multiple skill sets and Mitchell offers nothing different. A solid dasher, who could bat anywhere from top-order to lower-order, the 32-year-old is a proper team player.

It is incredible to note that Mitchell has over 4,000 runs and 76 T20 wickets to his name.

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#4 Alzarri Joseph - ₹11.50 crore to RCB

Alzarri Joseph during West Indies vs England series [Getty Images]

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) overhauled their bowling unit by moving on from the likes of Harshal Patel, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Josh Hazlewood.

In need of some quality bowling options, RCB tried their best to secure Pat Cummins but missed out. Eventually, they snapped up Alzarri Joseph for a fee of ₹11.50 crore.

Joseph, who is a skiddy customer, often troubles batters with his metronomic lines and lengths. With 115 international caps to his name for the West Indies, Joseph will be eager to prove his worth.

However, he will face stiff competition for a spot in the starting lineup from the likes of Reece Topley, Lockie Ferguson, and Tom Curran.

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#5 Spencer Johnson - ₹10 crore to GT

Spencer Johnson during India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 2 [Getty Images]

It was a memorable day if you are an Australian pace bowler. After Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc went out for whirlwind prices, young pacer Spencer Johnson was acquired by Gujarat Titans (GT) for a hefty fee of ₹10 crore.

The 28-year old has been making quite a name for himself with his impressive bowling performances at different T20 leagues.

A rising star in the world of cricket, Johnson is known for his pace and wicket-taking ability by swinging the new-ball upfront. He recently made his ODI debut while playing against India in September 2023.