‘Over the top, to be absolutely frank’ - Sunil Gavaskar reflects on Mitchell Starc’s 24.75 Crore price tag ahead of IPL 2024

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is looming on the horizon as fans gear up to witness one of the biggest T20 league tournaments in world cricket. One of the most exciting aspects of the competition is the shakeups that the franchises go through after an IPL auction. 

The 2024 auction did not disappoint as well; many franchises splashed the cash for star players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and many more to secure their services in the IPL 2024. One of the biggest buys of the IPL 2024 auction was star Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders. the two-time champions bought Starc for a whopping ₹24.75 crore to acquire his services in the IPL. 

The price tag however did not sit well with former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. The legendary batter opined that no player is worth that amount of money, and his price tag was way over the top.

"Over the top, to be absolutely frank. I don't think anybody is worth that kind of money. If Starc can make an impact and win maybe four out of the 14 matches that he plays, then you can say money's worth. Then if he makes contributions in the other games - absolutely fantastic,” Gavaskar said in a discussion with Star Sports. 

"He has got to bowl match-winning spells in at least four out of the 14 matches, and maybe the crucial matches against the Mumbai Indians, the Chennai Super Kings and RCB, because these three have top-class batting lineups. Bowl those teams out and you could even then say - money's worth," he added.

Starc earlier represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2014 and 2015 IPL, where he took 34 wickets at an economy rate of 7.17 in the 27 games that he played. However, ever since then, he has yet to make an appearance in the marquee tournament, and he will hope that 2024 could be his year.