IPL 2024

‘Cummins and Starc, both incredible players, but..’ – Former South African legend lands his opinion on price tag of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in IPL 2024

Former South African captain AB de Villiers has responded to the substantial bids received by the Australian duo of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the IPL 2024 auction earlier this week. Cummins and Starc emerged as the two most expensive players in IPL history, with Sunrisers Hyderabad acquiring Cummins for INR 20.5 crore and Kolkata Knight Riders securing Starc for INR 24.75 crore.

The legendary former South African wicket keeper batter, de Villiers expressed surprise at the astronomical prices fetched by the two Australian pacers in the IPL 2024 auction. However, the RCB legend acknowledged that the high demand for quality and experienced international fast bowlers was the reason behind their substantial prices.

“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? 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 said on his YouTube channel.

 

He was in my face in that game: AB de Villiers

The 39-year-old batter also believed that Mumbai Indians secured a great deal by acquiring young fast bowler Gerald Coetzee for INR 5 crore. Coetzee emerged as South Africa’s top bowler in the World Cup, claiming 20 wickets in 8 games. Additionally, his power-hitting skills could contribute to the team’s batting depth lower down the order.

“I faced this guy about 6-7 years ago. I think he was 18 or 19 years old and he impressed me a lot. He had a lot of steam, a lot of presence and was in my face in that game. He is going to the mighty Mumbai Indians only for ₹5 crore. That’s a lot of money, but if you compare it to some other players, this was a steal,” the former RCB star mentioned.