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Kaviya Maran and Pat Cummins (Source - Twitter)
The IPL 2024 auction witnessed a bizarre and spectacular display of cricketing enthusiasm as teams went on a bigging war for top-tier players to strengthen their squads. One name that echoed through the auction hall was Pat Cummins, who emerged as the most expensive player in IPL history. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured Cummins for a staggering Rs 20.5 crore, breaking the previous auction record set by Sam Curran in 2023. However, moments later, the record was broken as his Australian mate Mitchell Starc gets sold for INR 24.75 crores.
In a strategic move, Cummins opted out of IPL 2023 to concentrate on the Ashes and the World Cup. This decision paid dividends as he not only led Australia to World Cup glory but also played a pivotal role in retaining the Ashes. Before the Ashes, Cummins captained Australia to their maiden World Test Championship title, solidifying his status as a tactician and a shrewd player.
Check out some other buys from the auction
The auction floor witnessed an intense bidding war for Cummins, with powerhouse teams like Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Mumbai Indians in contention. However, SRH clinched the prized all-rounder with a record-breaking bid of 20.5 crore surpassing Sam Curran's Rs 18.5 crore deal in the previous auction.
Daryl Mitchell, with a base price of Rs 1 crore, surprised everyone by securing a massive Rs 14 crore deal with Chennai Super Kings. Chris Woakes, starting at Rs 2 crore, found a new home with Punjab Kings for Rs 4.20 crore.
Punjab Kings made headlines again with an Rs 11.75 crore deal for Harshal Patel. Mumbai Indians secured South Africa's Gerald Coetzee for Rs 5 crore, exceeding his base price of Rs 2 crore. Rachin Ravindra joined Chennai Super Kings for Rs 1.80 crore.
As the auction dust settled, reactions poured in from teams and fans alike on the auction frenzy. Here are some of the tweets from fans on X:
https://twitter.com/cuteoneliners/status/1737032410918015334
https://twitter.com/Iamsankot/status/1737031889066873147
https://twitter.com/bhaskar_sanu08/status/1737039113172521283
https://twitter.com/ExtraaaCover/status/1737032096630403163
https://twitter.com/zomato/status/1737040606239871070
https://twitter.com/AaliyaZaidi5/status/1737036833500864514
https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/1737031769407549745