Sunil Gavaskar & Mitchell Starc. Pic Credits: X

IPL 2025 : Sunil Gavaskar Predicts Mitchell Starc Won’t Fetch Record Price In Upcoming Mega Auction

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The legendary India National Cricket Team batsman Sunil Gavaskar is doubtful of the premier Australia National Cricket Team left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc getting a ‘record price’ at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Sunil Gavaskar said that Mitchell Starc will not attract big bids at the auction as the Indian Premier League franchises won’t be very desperate to acquire his services.

Mitchell Starc became the costliest player ever at IPL 2024 auction

The senior Australia National Cricket Team pacer Mitchell Starc shattered all the records at the Indian Premier League 2024 mini-auction and became the most expensive player in the history of the league. Several franchises were engaged in intense bidding wars to acquire the services of the pacer, but in the end, it was the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise that managed to rope him in.

In the 2024 mini-auction, Mitchell Starc had ignited a fierce bidding frenzy, ultimately becoming the most expensive player in IPL history when Kolkata Knight Riders secured him for a staggering INR 24.75 crore. However, his performance throughout the group stage was disappointing, as he struggled to find form, conceding numerous runs while also failing to take the wickets expected of such a hefty price tag. Other bowlers, like Harshit Rana and Andre Russell, appeared more formidable during that time.

Yet, in a dramatic turnaround during the playoffs, Mitchell Starc showcased his true mettle, delivering standout performances that were instrumental in securing Kolkata Knight Riders their third IPL title. Over 14 matches, he clinched 17 wickets at an average of 26.11, though his economy rate of 10.61 and strike rate of 14.7 raised eyebrows.

Speaking on the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan,’ Sunil Gavaskar said that Mitchell Starc will not fetch a big amount at the upcoming auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Sunil Gavaskar Predicts Mitchell Starc Won’t Fetch Record Price in IPL 2025 Auction

Former Indian cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sunil Gavaskar has predicted that star Australian pacer Mitchell Starc will not fetch the record price he received in the 2024 IPL auction. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had acquired the left-arm pacer for ₹24.75 crore, making him the most expensive player in the tournament’s history.

While the 34-year-old bowled well in the Qualifier and Final, taking five wickets, his overall performance was less impressive. Starc took 17 wickets in 14 matches but struggled with an economy rate of 10.61 runs per over. KKR decided to release Mitchell Starc, and the pacer is now back in the auction.

On the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan,’ Gavaskar stated that the pacer didn’t perform up to expectations and expressed uncertainty about Starc fetching the price as he did in the previous IPL auction. He said:

“I think Mitchell Starc bowled well in the last two games. In the sense the semi-finals and the finals, but before that he was pretty expensive, conceding lots of runs in the start, conceding lots of runs in the final couple of overs as well. So I’m not too sure that he will go for the kind of record price that we went for in the previous auction.”

The 75-year-old further added that while KKR might want to bring him back to maintain their winning combination, they are unlikely to pay him ₹24 crore.

“KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) would want him back in the team because you want a winning combination, you want to get back your winning combination as much as possible. So, KKR could go for him but not at 24 crores,” Gavaskar said.

The Knight Riders claimed their third IPL title in the 2024 edition, under the leadership of Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer. However, the franchise has parted ways with the star batter, and Iyer will now go under the hammer. Other notable releases include Philip Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, and Nitish Rana.

The IPL 2025 mega auction is scheduled to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. t is worth noting that KKR opted to release  Mitchell Starc, choosing instead to retain key players like Rinku Singh (₹13 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (₹12 crore), Sunil Narine (₹12 crore), Andre Russell (₹12 crore), Harshit Rana (₹4 crore), and Ramandeep Singh (₹4 crore).

Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Side Arm Specialists In India Need To Work Hard To Prepare Batters For Tough Times”- Abhishek Jain Gives His Invaluable Insights

 


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