At the IPL 2024 Auction, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins collectively earned an impressive Rs 44.80 crore, witnessing enthusiastic bidding from Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad to secure these pacers. However, the auction wasn't solely dominated by Australian World Cup winners. Numerous Indian cricketers also made significant gains, led by pacer Harshal Patel, emerging as the highest earner among Indian players.
Moving from the former Royal Challengers Bangalore squad, Harshal Patel made a notable move to Punjab Kings, securing an astounding deal of Rs 11.75 crore. Following closely was uncapped talent Sameer Rizvi, a relatively unknown figure whose exceptional performance in the UP T20 league earned him a lucrative Rs 8.4 crore deal with Chennai Super Kings.
Following a three-year stint with Punjab Kings, hard-hitting batsman Shahrukh Khan from Tamil Nadu is set to embark on a fresh IPL journey with Gujarat Titans. The franchise made a substantial payment of Rs 7.4 crore to acquire Khan's services, aiming to entrust him with the finishing role and hence, placing him third on the list of most expensive Indian buys at the auction.
Also on the list is the 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, Kumar Kushagra, hailing from Jharkhand, who was picked by Delhi Capitals for a substantial amount of Rs 7.20 crore. This acquisition came after an intense bidding tussle between Gujarat Titans and Capitals. Shivam Mavi from Uttar Pradesh was also one of the merry men at the auction as Lucknow Super Giants secured the pacer’s services for ₹6.4 crore. His acquisition aims to fill the gap left by Avesh Khan in the team's pace department.
Shubham Dubey is still coming to terms with the fact that he's suddenly become a crorepati overnight. The 29-year-old left-handed batsman from Nagpur was purchased by Rajasthan Royals for 5.80 crores during the IPL auction conducted in Dubai on December 19.
Another mention in the list is pacer Yash Dayal, remembered for being hit for five consecutive sixes by KKR's Rinku Singh in IPL 2023, has been acquired by RCB for ₹5 crore. Dayal previously represented GT in IPL 2022 and IPL 2023, initially bought for ₹3.2 crore in the 2022 auction. The cricketer hails from Uttar Pradesh and plays for the state team in domestic cricket.