Mitchell Starc and World Cup stars in spotlight at IPL 2024 auction

South African Gerald Coetzee and England’s Harry Brook expected to be in demand

Australia quick Mitchell Starc is expected to return to the IPL after eight years. Pawan Singh / The National

With a combined purse of $31.5 million, the 2024 IPL player auction on Tuesday is set to make a few lucky players very happy.

A total of 333 players will go under the hammer as the 10 franchises look to fill 77 slots. And, as is the case almost every year, World Cup performances will have a big bearing on the way the auction moves.

Last time, England all-rounder Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history as he went to Punjab Kings for a staggering sum of 185 million Indian rupees ($2.23 million) following a successful T20 World Cup in Australia.

This time, Australian players are set to be in high demand as they did superbly during the ODI World Cup, defeating India in the final. Also, most of them are available as players will be also be using the IPL as preparation for the T20 World Cup in June.

Franchises are expected to place more value on this World Cup's performances, even if it was a different format, as the conditions will be the same in the IPL.

So, here are the players who are likely to attract top bids at the IPL 2024 auction.

Pat Cummins

The Australian captain is the complete package. Having opted out of the 2023 IPL because of a packed schedule, he is set to return after taking Australia to World Cup glory in India last month.

The Australian quick, 30, who previously made an auction record of $2.17 million when he signed with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019, will enter with a top base price of $240,000.

Mitchell Starc

Joining Cummins in the race for a big payday are his World Cup teammates Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, and others.

Among them, Starc is likely to attract the most attention. The left-arm quick is returning to the league after a eight-year gap as he gears up for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in June. Starc has won all three world titles and his mastery over the new and old ball is worth its weight in gold.

Gerald Coetzee

Young South African quick Coetzee was one of the breakout stars of the ODI World Cup. He finished among the top five bowlers in the competition with 20 wickets and was generally impressive with his pace and aggression. He has kept himself in the top bracket of $240,000 for the auction.

Harry Brook

England batter Harry Brook is back in the spotlight after a turbulent season.

Brook, 24, was signed up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.6 million in the previous auction. However, he did not have a successful IPL. Then, he made only 169 in six World Cup matches. But, in a case of perfect timing, Brook smashed 24 runs in the final over of the chase to take England to victory over West Indies in the third T20I on Saturday, almost ensuring teams will once again be seeking is services. Brook also has kept his base price at $240,000.

Wanindu Hasaranga

The star Sri Lankan all-rounder is set to return from an injury that kept him out of the World Cup.

The spinner pocketed a $1.43 million contract at Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022 but was released by the team ahead of this year's auction.

He has 158 wickets in limited-overs formats, a T20 strike rate of more than 124 as an attacking middle-order batsman and is expected to strike another lucrative IPL contract with a base price of $180,000.