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[Saba Sports News] Mitchell Starc, the Australian left-arm seamer, set a new record in the IPL 2024 auction on December 19 by becoming the most expensive player in IPL history. He was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a massive 24.75 Crore, marking his return to the league after eight years.
Subsequently, a video of Starc’s wife, Alyssa Healy, the captain of the Australian women’s cricket team, celebrating with a beer went viral. However, it was later clarified that the video was old and unrelated to Starc’s IPL sale. Healy herself confirmed she was actually in the gym preparing for a series against India, and not thinking about beers at the time of the auction.
Starc, who previously played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2014 and 2015 IPL seasons, has been a successful bowler in the tournament, with 34 wickets in 27 matches. He was also picked by KKR in the 2018 auction for INR 9.4 Crore but had to withdraw due to a leg injury.
Just before Starc’s record-breaking sale, Australian captain and teammate Pat Cummins was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.50 Crore, momentarily becoming the most expensive player in IPL history. This surpassed the previous record held by England’s Sam Curran, who was bought for INR 18.50 Crore by Punjab Kings in the IPL 2023 mini-auction.