CHENNAI: The moment auctioneer Mallika Sagar announced Mitchell Starc's name in the auction, everyone knew what was on cards. Pat Cummins had already become the most expensive signing in the history of the tournament as Sunrisers Hyderabad shelled out Rs 20.5 crore for the Australian captain. Despite that, there was an obvious expectation that Starc could surpass that.
And yet, it was Delhi Capitals who immediately raised the paddle followed by Mumbai Indians. Now, both teams had less than Rs 15 crore, and were well aware that they are not going to sign Starc. That, however, did not stop Rishabh Pant and Akash Ambani (MI owner) — both were having a wry smile during the bidding — from raising the paddle until the price came close to Rs 10 crore mark. To an extent they set the tone for Starc's bidding.
This act defines the beautiful chaos that the IPL auction is. And, as expected, it worked. Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders continued the bidding battle and took the price till Rs 24.75 crore before the latter had the final say. In less than an hour, Starc has gone past his national team captain to become the most expensive player in IPL history. KKR walked away from the table as the happier team despite shelling out such a huge amount. Debates had already begun whether either of the players deserved as much money. Starc hasn't played in the league since 2015 and had withdrawn after being signed by KKR in 2018. Will he play full season? What if he withdraws? Why spend so much on someone who is not always available? These were some of the questions that came up on the signing.
The logic, however, seems clear. For teams, it is not about whether the player is worth the money. It is often about how much a team wants that player and whether the said player will fit in their plans. For KKR, it is about this one season and giving themselves the best shot at winning it because next year could well be another mega auction. Same is the case for Starc. Unlike the past, Australia do not play any Tests between February and December and the focus lies in the shortest format with the T20 World Cup to be played after the IPL. Which is why Starc made himself available in the first place. Now, unless he gets injured at the last minute it is likely that Starc would turn up in Purple and Gold for the next season.
The case of Cummins, though, is a bit different. He may not be a traditional T20 player, but recency bias (read the World Cup win in India) and the fact that he has tasted nothing but success as captain meant there was a bidding war for him. And Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were looking for a captaincy candidate, wanted him badly after having signed Travis Head already. SRH and Royal Challengers Bangalore were engaged in a stiff battle, and this is where things could have gone awfully bad for RCB. With about Rs 23.5 crore in the purse, RCB went up to Rs 20 crore for Cummins. Had SRH not raised the paddle again, RCB's auction would have been all but over there. But. SRH wanted Cummins so badly that they did and signed him for Rs 20.5 crore. The question remains, however, on how SRH will make the most of the squad considering they have as many as eight overseas players including Aiden Markram who led them last season. That they have got Wanindu Hasaranga for Rs 1.5 crore means Markram and Marco Jansen might not find a place in the first playing XI.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings, Titans and Mumbai did well in the auction, getting the players they wanted. CSK secured Shardul Thakur (Rs 4 crore), Daryl Mitchell (Rs 14 crore), Rachin Ravindra (Rs 1.8 crore) and even got Mustafizur Rahman. MI signed Gerald Coetzee (Rs 5 crore), Nuwan Thushara (Rs 4.8 crore), and Dilshan Madhushanka (Rs 4.6 crore) to assist Jasprit Bumrah. Titans, on the other hand, made the most of the money they got from trading Hardik Pandya. They signed uncapped Australian pacer Spencer Johnson (Rs 10 crore), Shahrukh Khan, Umesh Yadav and Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai (Rs 50 lakh). RCB went for the pacers to help Mohammed Siraj with the likes of Yash Dayal and Alzarri Joseph.
Talent meets opportunity
If the unpredictability and chaos made the auction interesting, the other key factor that influenced the proceedings is the scouting network and the uncapped players teams sign out of nowhere. In this auction, Sameer Rizvi, who dominated the UP T20 league, started a bidding war before being signed by CSK for Rs 8.4 crore. The 19-year-old Kumar Kushagra went to Delhi for Rs 7.2 crore — their most expensive signing. Vidarbha's Shubam Dubey was signed by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 5.87 crore.
Then there is Robin Minz, another big hitter who did well in Jharkhand premier League, who was picked by Titans for Rs 3.6 crore. Most of these players had not even made a mark in the senior domestic circuit and yet, the teams see the potential in them and are willing to pay the big bucks and invest in their growth. And for many, the money they get is going to be life-changing. However, it is the opportunity that matters more. After all, it is all about the tournament tagline — Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi, which means 'where talent meets opportunity'.