The Coca-Cola arena in Dubai witnessed a historic auction as Kolkata Knight Riders and SunRisers Hyderabad went all in to secure the services of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, respectively. The two Australian pacers became the only two players in the history of the tournament to bag a deal over INR 20 crore. While the Australian skipper was roped in by SRH for INR 20.50 crore, Starc became the most expensive player in IPL history, getting an INR 24.75 crore deal from KKR.
Apart from them, many other players managed to find themselves a home for the IPL 2024 and got some really good deals. On that note, let us rate the 10 teams based on their auction business.
CSK- 9/10
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings did a great job at the auction. They roped in Kiwi sensations Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra, going all out for the former and bagging him at INR 14 crore. The team also got the services of Uttar Pradesh domestic cricketer Sameer Rizvi by spending INR 8 crore. While Rachin Ravindra was a steal deal, they managed to bag two other big-match players similarly as they added Shardul Thakur and Mustafizur Rahman to their side. Ahead of the 17th edition of the tournament, CSK look strong enough to win their sixth title, with no major flaws in their squad.
MI- 8.5/10
Mumbai Indians managed to strengthen their bowling lineup, but they majorly aimed at overseas bowlers at the auction. With the likes of Gerald Coetzee (INR 5 crore), Nuwan Thushara (INR 4.8 crore), and Dilshan Madushanka (INR 4.6 crore) joining Jasprit Bumrah and Jason Behrendorff, the five-time champions have managed to build a strong bowling unit. They still lack big Indian players on their side, as they roped in an overseas all-rounder in the form of Mohammad Nabi. However, with Hardik Pandya’s inclusion on their side, they too look very strong on paper.
GT- 8/10
Gujarat Titans tried their best to get Mitchell Starc on their side but they eventually lost the bitting war to Kolkata Knight Riders. Nevertheless, they managed to get Spencer Johnson at INR 10 crore. Does not have much experience playing the 20-over game, but he can wreak havoc on the field on his best day. Apart from him, the team also managed to get the services of Azmatullah Omarzai at his base price of INR 50 lakh, which might prove to be a masterstroke. They also added India’s sensational batter, Shahrukh Khan, buying him at INR 7.4 crore. Hardik Pandya’s exit from the team will surely leave a void, but the Titans have managed to get players who can fill that gap.
SRH- 8/10
Sunrisers Hyderabad struck gold when they won the bid to get Pat Cummins on their side. The INR 20.50 crore worth player will not just bring experience but also all-around skills. We have witnessed his master class at the IPL when he represented the Kolkata Knight Riders, and he can help Hyderabad win crucial games under pressure both with the mat and the ball. Apart from him, SRH also got Wanindu Hasaranga for a mere INR 1.5 crore. They added another World Cup winner- Travis Head- to their squad, getting him for INR 6.8 crore.
KKR- 6/10
Even though Kolkata Knight Riders added a big player like Mitchell Starc to their squad, they could not do much apart from that at the auction. They bought KS Bharat as a wicketkeeping option, but that move might not work well. A mix of experienced and inexperienced players, two-time champions KKR look like a decent side going into the tournament
RR- 5.5/10
The one aspect where Rajasthan Royals lagged in the previous edition of the tournament was the all-rounders. They only had Riyan Parag as a proper all-round option on their side and this year again, they failed to get him a company. They did manage to get Rovman Powell, but couldn’t make a significant impact with their purchases this time.
LSG- 7.5/10
The Lucknow Super Giants stuck to their strategy and added another great all-rounder to their side by getting Shivam Mavi. The youngster has proved to be an asset for KKR and Gujarat Titans in the previous editions, and will now aim to repeat his heroics for LSG. The Lucknow-based franchise also added Manimaran Siddharth, one of the finest players in India’s domestic circuit, alongside David Willey, Ashton Turner, Arshin Kulkarni, and Mohammad Arshad Khan.
DC- 6/10
Delhi capitals could not make a mark at the auction. They purchased nine players of which only a few players can be relied on. They roped in Harry Brook, Tristian Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, and Swastik Chhikara. While Brook was a good deal at INR 4 crore, the Capitals adding Richardson and Hope to their squad raised questions. Letting go of Phil Salt might be a regrettable decision, as the explosive opener recently hit two consecutive centuries within three days. The team, nevertheless, misses the balance.
PBKS- 7.5/10
Punjab Kings’ auction tactics were confusing this time. Though they don’t have any bad players, they neither have any big names apart from the veteran Shikhar Dhawan. Sam Curran became the most expensive buy last season, but he could not prove his worth. This time, they went all out for Harshal Patel, spending INR 11.75 crore behind the pacer. But his form hasn’t been something to rely upon. They also invested INR 8 crore in Rilee Rossouw which might seem a good move, but also put in a lot of money into the domestic players. The addition of Chris Woakes and Shashank Singh might prove to be a masterstroke.
RCB- 5/10
RCB’s dream of winning their first IPL title might remain to be a dream this year as well as they had a very poor outing at the auction. Having released all of their bowlers, except Mohammed Siraj, they failed to build a strong bowling unit and hence will depend solely on their batters to do the job in the upcoming edition. They roped in Alzarri Joseph for INR 11.5 crore, Lockie Ferguson for INR 2 crore, and Tom Curran for INR 1.5 crore but their bowling lineup still looks weak even with the inclusion of Reece Topley in their squad. They do not have a dependable spinner on their side, and the move to release Wanindu Hasaranga will prove to be very costly.
Read this also : IPL Auction 2024: Full list of players of all 10 teams
