Former South African legendary batter AB de Villiers has raised questions about the strategic decisions made by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in securing the services of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, respectively, for substantial amount during the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction.
During a recent Q&A session on his YouTube channel, De Villiers was asked to share his thoughts on whether he believed that MI exhibited a higher level of strategic acumen during the IPL 2024 auction in comparison to KKR and SRH.
ABD questioned, “I couldn’t agree more. Some very smart buys. Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and other teams that do well in the IPL do well in the auction as well. They make smart buys and not emotional buys. Cummins and Starc, both incredible players, but really, for that price?”
He added, “It just shows you the demand. There was demand for fast bowlers in this year’s auction, and when the demand goes up, the price goes up.”
AB de Villiers also played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL during his playing era. He set batting records alongside India’s greatest batter, Virat Kohli, but unfortunately failed to clinch the IPL title for his team.
The IPL 2024 auction in Dubai grabbed global attention as the Australian fast bowling pair of Starc and Cummins secured jaw-dropping deals worth Rs. 82.61 crore and Rs. 68.42 crore, respectively.
This remarkable achievement has etched their names in history, as they now stand as the two most expensive acquisitions ever in an IPL auction.
This bidding war involved prominent franchises such as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Hyderabad. Ultimately, Starc was successfully acquired by SRH, where he is also expected to take on the role of team captain.