There is no denying the fact history has been scripted in the auction of the IPL 2024 as Pat Cummins became the first player to touch the Rs. 20 crore mark in the tournament and Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in the IPL history after he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping amount of Rs. 24.75 crore.
The former South African cricketer AB de Villiers feels that there was a huge demand for pacers in the auction but still he is also a little shocked with the amount that has been spent on these two pacers. While speaking in a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers stated that though both (Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc) are wonderful players, still the price is high and this shows the demand for pacers in the auction and as the demand goes high, the price also soars.
He also praises Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings for making some smart buys and says that the teams which do well in the IPL also do well in the auctions as they make smart buys and no emotional buys. AB de Villiers further lauds MI for buying Nuwan Thushara and Dilshan Madushanka and added that Shreyas Gopal and Mohammad Nabi are also two very good purchases at the price which is paid for them. He adds that what he loves more is the fact that MI has got all three – Coetzee, Madushanka and Thushara in just Rs 15 crore.
AB de Villiers also appreciated Gerald Coetzee and said that he (AB de Villiers) faced Coetzee 6-7 years back when he was 18-19 years old and at that time also, he had steam and presence. ABD further said that MI got him for Rs. 5 crore which is certainly a lot of money but in comparison to other players, it can be called a good steal for MI.
Do you also feel that the money spent for Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc is unreasonable? Let us know your views in this regard.