In December 2023 at the IPL auction, the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders broke the bank for Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Combined, the Australian duo was sold for Rs 45.25 Crore. First, the Australian Captain was bought for Rs 20.50 Crore. A few moments later, KKR steamrolled the remaining nine franchises, to bag Starc’s services for a mammoth Rs 24.50 Crore.
Back then, even after making such extravagant bids, many- including fellow team owners, media and fans weren’t sure of such costly buys. Now, after the IPL 2024 is over, with KKR lifting the title, the two most costliest players in IPL history, are the ones standing tall.
The Big Bucks Theory
Right since the beginning of the IPL, there has been a notion, that big bucks can be a distraction for top players. There have been examples like Andrew Flintoff (CSK-2009), Yuvraj Singh (Delhi-2015), and Chris Morris (Rajasthan – 2021), who failed to live up to expectations.
The pressure was on both Starc and Cummins. The limelight was always going to be on them – be it success or failure. Both the Aussies had a dream IPL, individually and as a team.
Starc produced 17 wickets from 14 matches. This was after going through a lull period in the first half of the tournament. Like the big players often do, they step up when the team needs them the most.
The left-arm pacer produced a dream spell, first in qualifier 1 picking up three wickets, and then in the final, picking up two wickets. His spell determined the fate of both these games. In both these big games, Starc was named as the player of the match.
Talking about Pat Cummins, the all-rounder did some heavy lifting right through the IPL 2024. He is the fulcrum around which Sunrisers Hyderabad’s ship floated, from game number one. Talking of numbers, he finished with 18 wickets from 16 matches and also played useful cameos with the bat. Most importantly, Cummins led the team superbly, on and off the pitch. Fittingly, his team played the final.
Both Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have proved that money might not always be a big distraction, for players. If you are as talented and committed as the Australian pace duo, then there’s no need to worry.
With the mega auction coming up, expect the remaining teams to take a leaf out of KKR and SRH books, and target specific players, no matter, what price they come at. Maybe the Big Bucks Theory is likely to stay for a few more seasons.
Also Read: IPL or T20 World Cup winners – who get a bigger paycheque?
Life comes a full circle for Starc and Cummins
He first posed with Rohit Sharma and the World Cup trophy at Adalaj Stepwells in Ahmedabad. Then, he had a modeling session with Kraigg Brathwaite at Adelaide Oval, flipping sunglasses like teenagers. Recently, Pat Cummins had a photoshoot with Shreyas Iyer and the IPL trophy at Marina Beach, posing with an autorickshaw. He’s made all these poses work without any fuss, both on and off the field, as Sunrisers Hyderabad captain.
Mitchell Starc isn’t into posing much but has performed well on the field. He returned to the IPL after nine years and had a standout 2024 season. No one could imagine, Starc finishing as a winning member of the IPL winning team, and playing a major role in that too.
Cummins has had a big impact on Hyderabad’s performance, leading them from the bottom to the top of the table. He’s created a positive environment for the team and contributed crucial overs in matches. Despite not being a T20 specialist or having prior captaincy experience in T20, Cummins was a strategic pick for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Starc, on the other hand, had limited T20 experience but was a sought-after player at the auction due to his international reputation. Gautam Gambhir’s decision to splurge truckloads of money on Starc has finally paid rich dividends.
Kolkata Knight Riders played like invincible and rightfully deserve to be the IPL 2024 champions. SRH fans are expectedly disappointed, but the brand of cricket they played right through the season, has caught everyone’s attention.
In the IPL, every era is dominated by players from respective countries. Maybe Aussie domination in the IPL has just begun, thanks to the Big Bucks Theory.
