Australia bowler becomes most expensive player at Indian Premier League

• Mitchell Starc becomes most expensive player at Indian Premier League.

Australia bowler Mitchell Starc became the most expensive signing in Indian Premier League history when he was bought for 24.75 crore Indian rupees (£2.3m) by Kolkata Knight Riders.

The bid for Starc broke the record set earlier in Tuesday’s auction when Pat Cummins was sold for 20.5 cr (£1.9m).

That fee beat the 18.15 cr (£1.85m) paid for England’s Sam Curran in 2022.

Elsewhere, England bowler Chris Woakes was sold to Punjab Kings and team-mate Harry Brook went to Delhi Capitals.

Woakes cost 4.2 cr (£400,000) and Brook 4 cr (£380,000) – a drop from the £1.35m fee paid for him last year.

New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was signed for 14 cr (£1.3m) by Chennai Super Kings, who also picked up Mitchell’s Black Caps’ team-mate Rachin Ravindra.

Ravindra went for 1.8 cr (£170,000) after his breakout performance at the 50-over World Cup this autumn.

Australia’s title win in India was expected to put their players in demand and there were gasps in the room when the bidding for captain and bowler Cummins went over 20 cr for the first time in an IPL auction.

Starc, 33, has not played in the T20 competition for eight years but was signed after intense bidding, which started between Mumbai Indians and Delhi before being taken on by Gujarat Titans and KKR.

Cummins, 30, was eventually signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad after a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sunrisers also picked up Australia batter Travis Head, player of the match in the World Cup final win over India, for 6.8 cr (£645,000).

RCB spent 11.50 cr (£1.1m) on West Indies quick Alzarri Joseph and his team-mate, all-rounder Rovman Powell, was bought for 7.40 cr (£702,000) by Rajasthan Royals.

Mumbai signed South Africa bowler Gerald Coetzee and Sri Lanka left-armer Dilshan Madushanka for 5 cr (£473,000) and 4.6 cr (£435,000) respectively.

Punjab signed India pace bowler Harshal Patel for 11.75 cr (£1.1m).

England opener Phil Salt and leg-spinner Adil Rashid went unsold but could still be picked up later in the auction.