Aussie fast bowler, Mitchell Starc, was signed by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, for a whopping amount of 24.75 crore INR (Indian rupees) during the 2024 IPL auction held yesterday in Dubai.
Fans and former cricketers are often seen comparing the two leagues to ascertain which one is better. This year, there have been a lot of questions on why PSL has failed to attract foreign superstars who were available to play cricket at the time and have opted to participate in the IPL.
One factor that has been discussed often is the difference in player pricing because of PSL’s draft model compared to the IPL’s auction model.
An interesting statistic that shows the stark difference between the financial comparison of the two leagues is that the 18 Platinum players that have been drafted into the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 have a total value of approximately $3 million.
The approx. value is taken out by multiplying $170,000 (last year’s highest Platinum fee) by 18 (total signed players). Last year, Platinum players were offered $130,000 to $170,000 for the entire league.
If we convert this to PKR, it will become around 84 crore PKR. That is almost level with just what Mitchell Starc is getting for next year’s IPL.
| Mitchell Starc
= 82 Crore PKR |
Shadab Khan + Naseem Shah + Jordan Cox + Kieron Pollard + Daniel Sams + Mohammad Nawaz + Shaheen Shah Afridi + Fakhar Zaman + Rassie van der Dussen + Mohammad Rizwan + Iftikhar Ahmed + David Willey + Babar Azam + Rovman Powell + Noor Ahmad + Rilee Rossouw + Sherfane Rutherford + Mohammad Amir
= 84 Crore PKR |
If we convert the value of Starc into Pakistani rupees, it becomes approximately 82 crore PKR.
On one hand, you have a T20 league’s entire elite roster, while on the other hand, you have the lone highest-value asset of the top T20 league.
While some have found Starc’s valuation to be a reminder for PCB that it needs to ramp up the game to stay in the competition, others have found the funny side in IPL’s record-breaking auction yesterday.
Looking at the current financial status of the country, fans think there are not many things Starc can buy even if he gets all that cash.
I would have chosen F7 Islamabad in the womb too 😬🙈 https://t.co/v2vYin6Tfd
— Behram Qazi 🇵🇰 🇨🇦 (@DeafMango) December 19, 2023
Buying land is considered one of the safest ways of investing in a person’s future. There is a meme doing rounds on X, previously Twitter, where a prime residential area of Islamabad, F-7, is being compared to Starc’s complete payout.
Sector F-7 (Top Three Properties)
Looking at the price of houses in the residential sector, Starc wouldn’t be able to buy the property with the amount bestowed to him yesterday.
On the wayside, Starc’s fellow countryman, Pat Cummins, took a picture of the pitch where the final of the 2023 ICC World Cup was played. What Starc can do is probably gift a flagship device from Apple or Samsung (according to his preference) to his captain, or Cummins can buy one using the 20 crore INR (second-highest IPL transaction) payment he received for his inclusion in the IPL.
Pat Cummins was seen taking pictures of the pitch on his mobile phone. What are the Aussies up to? #INDvsAUSFinal pic.twitter.com/tlG3xmLOA3
— Madhav Sharma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@HashTagCricket) November 18, 2023
Note: The dollar rate for today compared to Pakistan’s currency is: $1 = 282 PKR (Pakistani rupees).
