Fact Check: IPL 2024 Auction will reunite Pat Cummins to KKR?

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Kolkata Knight Riders will be going into the IPL 2024 auction with a decent war chest. The Knight Riders have the thinnest squad and need some decent acquisitions.

After releasing 12 players in the window, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have their work cut out at the auction table on December 19. The two-time IPL Champions have many bases to fill and one of the key areas will be the fast bowling department.

KKR released six fast bowlers ahead of the auction and only have Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora as pace options. They also have Andre Russell but his bowling availability is a question mark as always.

As they get to the auction table, the KKR management will be eyeing to snap up at least three decent fast bowlers in their ranks. They do have four overseas slots to fill and we may see a couple of them with fast bowlers.

There are a few names who have been linked with KKR in the past few days, but who will KKR opt for in the auction table? They do have INR 32.7 crore in the tank, which means they can splash the money on the player they want.

Pat Cummins coming back to KKR?

The return of Pat Cummins to KKR is a thing on the cards. The Australian captain withdrew himself from IPL 2023 for the World Cup preparation. And it panned out to be an excellent decision as Australia won the 6th World Cup in India.

Now the Aussie captain is available for the auction and will have suitors for him. A player who knows KKR and vice versa, Cummins can be the perfect fit for the Knight Riders. His record with the ball at KKR is not paramount, but his experience and his batting ability lower down the order are added factors.

KKR do tend to bring back past players and it has happened with Cummins as well. Hence there is no reason for KKR to not revisit the same avenue for the World Cup-winning Australia captain in the upcoming auction.

Pat Cummins KKR Ideal Price

Hence Pat Cummins to KKR is a possibility. But KKR will also have to be wary of the price. The Australian was bought for INR 15.5 crore by KKR in IPL 2021, and then again for INR 7.25 crore in 2022. They can't splash that amount of cash again for him. If they get Cummins for around INR 5 crore, then KKR can move forward and seal the deal.

KKR Fast Bowlers Options in IPL 2024 Auction

Among the fast bowlers in the auction, KKR can target a few. There will be some top-notch overseas pacers up for grabs such as Mitchell Starc, Gerald Coetzee, Alzarri Joseph, Jason Holder and Josh Hazlewood.

Among the Indian names, KKR may eye to snap up at least one. Kartik Tyagi, Harshal Patel, Shivam Mavi, and Barinder Sran are among the names who will be going under the hammer in the auction.