Starc becomes most expensive IPL player ever at 2024 auction

Mitchell Starc became the most expensive IPL signing of all time on a day when two Australians broke the record.

Starc was sold to the Kolkata Knight Riders for £2.3million just hours after Pat Cummins had gone to Sunrisers Hyderabad for £1.9m.

The duo both beat the record set when Sam Curran joined Punjab Kings for £1.7m at last year's auction.

It completes a successful year for the Aussie pair, who secured the World Test Championship, retained the Ashes on English soil and won the 50-over World Cup in India.

Starc told JioCinema: "Our Test squad WhatsApp group's been going off, letting us know that it's our shout for dinner and drinks.

"We've managed to find some luck tonight. It's a pretty special night for the both of us, I think.

"It's obviously humbling to still feel like I'm wanted or needed. 

"Hopefully the experience that I've had for a few years now can translate into success."

Elsewhere, Englishmen Chris Woakes and Harry Brook received lucrative new deals, signing for Punjab Kings for £300,000 and Delhi Capitals for £380,000 respectively.

The latter was signed for over three times as much last year but this is still a major investment.

Several other England stars have already been retained by their franchises ahead of the 2024 competition, including Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. 

Daryl Mitchell joined Chennai Super Kings for £1.3m, while the same franchise signed Kiwi breakout star Rachin Ravindra for £170,000.

Success at the recent World Cup was clearly at the forefront of the bidders' minds, with the biggest fees being spent on those who excelled in India across October and November.

Starc took 16 wickets at an average of 33.00 during the competition but has not featured at the IPL since 2015.