Mitchell Starc set to make over $3 million in upcoming Indian Premier League
After eight years out of the Indian Premier League Mitchell Starc is throwing his hat back into the ring, and clubs who have set aside war chests of over $3 million are ready to pounce.
Mitchell Starc’s decision to end his eight-year Indian Premier League exile is set to trigger a bidding frenzy, with teams setting aside a war chest in excess of $3 million for him.
The Australian fast bowling superstar is a chance to become the highest paid international in the history of the Indian Premier League as teams consider whether to smash the record $3.4 million spent on England’s Sam Curran in January this year.
Bowler-hungry franchises are also expected to budget a similar $3 million figure to launch super bids on Australian World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins when the IPL mini auction takes place on December 19 in Dubai.
Starc last played in the IPL in 2015 but since then has put himself into a self-imposed hibernation to prioritise his Test career for Australia, in a sacrifice that has conservatively cost him between $10 million to $15 million in potential earnings.
But the 33-year-old left arm destroyer is set to get the pay day he deserves with this masthead of the understanding that multiple teams are prepared to spend $3 million on Starc in a year when Australia’s quicks should be able to play the entire tournament.
Both Starc and Cummins have confirmed they will throw their hats into the ring at the auction and it’s in their – and Australia’s – interests to do so given the Twenty20 World Cup will almost immediately follow the IPL in June and July next year.
Compared to this year’s ridiculously stacked schedule, a two-Test tour of New Zealand in February is the only overseas Test assignment on the radar next year, therefore the workload management of Australia’s big man won’t be such an onerous task.
Josh Hazlewood was released by his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore because he may miss part of the IPL due to the birth of his first child due at the end of March.
Hazlewood, however, might be another prime target at the impending December 19 auction given he has built up a record of being the most improved T20 bowler in the world over the past three years.
Cameron Green holds the record for the second-highest paid international of all time in the IPL following his $3.2 million dollar deal earlier this year.
Green admitted playing last year’s IPL contributed to the exhaustion he felt at the end of the year, but managing the IPL in 2024 shouldn’t be a problem and he has a fresh opportunity now after being traded to Virat Kohli’s RCB franchise.
Cricket Australia will be keen for as many of their stars to play next year’s IPL given it will serve as the best possible lead-in to the T20 World Cup which will take place in the West Indies and USA.
If Australia can win this World Cup as well they will become the first ever holders of cricket’s Triple Crown, given they currently hold the 50-over World Cup and the World Test Championship mace.
“Can you imagine in the space of a year they hold the Test Championship, the Ashes, the 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup, it would be a remarkable achievement for this group of Australian cricketers,” England great and Fox Cricket expert, Michael Vaughan said.
Cummins also joined Starc in sacrificing a multi-million dollar deal to play in last year’s IPL as a pre-emptive measure to protect his mind and body during this year’s marathon which included Indian Test series, Ashes and World Cup.
The Australian captain believes the IPL can help him regain his best T20 form which he feels has been missing.
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“I feel like I haven’t played a heap of T20 cricket and in some ways I feel like I haven’t played my best T20 cricket for a little while,” Cummins said at the end of the World Cup.
“I’m really excited, I’m probably going to go into the IPL auction for next year to try to get some games before that World Cup and push a case to not only make the side but get back to how I feel like I can bowl in T20 cricket.”
It remains possible Cummins could captain Australia at the T20 World Cup, although Mitchell Marsh has been flagged as skipper of that format.
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