Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins collect $8m in IPL deals

After pulling in more than $8m in IPL deals, Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins could be up for shouting their teammates a dinner or two.

Newly minted IPL millionaire Mitchell Starc conceded it could be an “interesting time” for the Australian fast bowling crew in the gym when they reassemble after he and captain Pat Cummins picked up more than $8m in new contracts in a record-setting auction.

But the third man in their all-conquering trio, Josh Hazlewood, who had informed teams he would be unavailable early in the tournament due to the impending birth of his first child, was left unsold on the shelf as Starc declared he was in a “fair bit of shock” after becoming the most expensive player in the T20 tournament’s history.

Starc was picked up for $A4.43m (24.75 crore) by the Kolkata Knight Riders as he ended his eight-year absence from the tournament, with Cummins going to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for $3.67m.

Welcome back, record-breaker! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/KwSZui8GBj

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) December 19, 2023

They weren’t the only bowlers given seven-figure deals, with rookie Australian quick Spencer Johnson also picked up for a mammoth $1.78m by the Gujarat Titans.

Starc said he was getting updates from his wife, Australia captain Alyssa Healy, who is in India for her own series, and found it hard to believe he was the subject of such an intense bidding war.

“I’m not sure any words would do it justice, really,“ Starc told Star TV.

“Alyssa was over there with the Australian team at the minute, so her coverage was slightly ahead of mine here in Australia. So she sort of saw the numbers before I did, so I was getting the updates through her. But, yeah, a fair bit of shock, and certainly excitement with how it was all unfolding. But nothing that I could’ve ever imagined.

“The team chat has been going nuts. The are all saying it’s our shout, so we’ll just go about our business and get ready for the next Test match. But a few of our Australian teammates might be waiting for us to treat them.

“It could be an interesting conversation between the bowling group tomorrow and the gym.”

An AUS'picious moment for Hyderabad 🤩#HereWeGOrangepic.twitter.com/1jjpBEFidb

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) December 19, 2023

Healy said Starc’s payday had been “justification” for many years of hard work and his selfless commitment to the national side at the expense of previous lucrative IPL contracts.

“I was in the gym trying to do a gym session while the IPL auction was on the TV, so it was quite a distraction for our whole group,” she said.

“It was an amazing night for him, and obviously justification for a lot of years of hard work. “(He’s) looking forward to an opportunity to come back and be part of the IPL.”

Starc has played only two seasons of the IPL – in 2014 and 2015 – and missed the 2018 season with injury before opting to return to the tournament this year, setting off a frenzy among his suitors.

“It’s been a long time since I played in IPL in 2014 and ’15 and have obviously played a fair bit of cricket since then,” he said.

“So that experience is there and a little bit of leadership if you like, in terms of the experience side of things in white-ball cricket that hopefully I can bring to bring to KKR as well and play my part there.”

Travis Head also returns to the IPL and will join Cummins at the Sunrisers on a $1.2m deal.

Australians in IPL 2024 

Delhi Capitals: Mitch Marsh ($1.2m), David Warner ($1.16m), Jhye Richardson ($890,000)

Gujarat Titans: Spencer Johnson ($1.78m), Matthew Wade ($446,000)

Kolkata Knight Riders: Mitchell Starc ($4.43m)

Lucknow Super Giants: Marcus Stoinis ($1.7m), Ashton Turner ($178,000)

Mumbai Indians: Tim David ($1.53m), Jason Behrendorff ($135,000)

Punjab Kings: Nathan Ellis ($135,000)

Rajasthan Royals: Adam Zampa ($270,000)

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Cameron Green ($3.15m), Glenn Maxwell ($2m)

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins ($3.67m), Travis Head ($1.2m)

Originally published as Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins collect $8m in IPL deals