IPL 2024 Auction: Costliest IPL Player Mitchell Starc hopes to emulate Pat Cummins at KKR

IPL 2024 Auction: Senior Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc created history by becoming the most expensive player ever sold at the Indian Premier League auction.

Starc pipped his fellow teammate and captain Pat Cummins - who became the first cricketer to breach the Rs 20 crore mark in IPL Auction history and also the costliest player after finding a bid of Rs 20.50 crore from Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Both Starc and Cummins smashed the previous record held by England all-rounder Sam Curran, who was purchased by Punjab Kings for Rs 18.50 crore.

Starc has not played in the IPL since 2015 and the left-arm quick's return to the fray drew a bidding war that ended in an unprecedented bid from his former franchise KKR.

Cummins is making his comeback to the tournament after a one-year absence to focus on his international commitments, during which he has captained Australia to glory in the World Test Championship and 50-over World Cup on Indian soil.

Starc expressed his amazement at the substantial investment made by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in acquiring him. Acknowledging the intense competition during the auction, he noted that several teams were keen on strengthening their pace attacks, with notable names like Pat Cummins also featuring on the auction list.

"Nothing I could have dreamt of. Obviously, a few teams were looking to bolster their pace attacks and there are a plethora of brilliant skill sets and names on their auction list, with Pat (Cummins) being one of them, and going to Dan's (Daniel Vettori) team in Hyderabad.

"I wasn't sure where I would end up, but I am thrilled to be a part of KKR. It's a team that Pat was at, so hopefully, I can fill his boots there and be very successful," the left-arm pacer from Australia said on JioCinema.

Starc highlighted his previous focus on prioritising international cricket, particularly Test matches, to contribute as much as possible for Australia. However, with a quieter international schedule for the Australian team towards the end of this year and heading into the next, Starc saw a golden opportunity to participate in the IPL.

"I have prioritized international cricket and wanted to prioritize Test cricket as well, playing as much and as well as I could for Australia. That was my thought process leading up to the last number of years. Coming into the back end of this year and heading into next year, it's a lot quieter on the international scene for the Australian group.

"It's a great chance to get involved in the IPL. Obviously, there's a T20 World Cup coming up next year and there's a good chance to play some really competitive T20 cricket in the best T20 league with the world-class players we see on all the lists," he added further.