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ToggleFormer South African cricketer AB de Villiers expressed skepticism over the high prices paid for players like Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the IPL 2024 auction. However, AB de Villiers acknowledged Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins for their exceptional skills with the ball.
Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins made headlines as the two most expensive buys in the history of the IPL auction. On December 19, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) acquired them for record-breaking sums of Rs 24.75 crore and Rs 20.50 crore, respectively.
I Couldn’t Agree More – AB de Villiers
During a recent Q&A session on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers commended the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings for making strategic and intelligent choices in the auction.
“I couldn’t agree more. Some very smart buys. Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and other teams that do well in the IPL do well in the auction as well. They make smart buys and not emotional buys. Cummins and Starc, both incredible players, but really, for that price?
“It just shows you the demand. There was demand for fast bowlers in this year’s auction and when the demand goes up, the price goes up,” de Villiers said.
KKR and SRH made substantial investments of over Rs 20 crore each to secure one player. In contrast, MI managed to acquire Gerald Coetzee (Rs 5 crore), Dilshan Madushanka (Rs 4.5 crore), and Nuwan Thushara (Rs 4.8 crore) for a combined total of under Rs 15 crore.
Two Very Good Buys For Their Price – AB de Villiers
De Villiers highlighted the acquisitions of Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan Madushanka, and Gerald Coetzee as fantastic choices. He also commended the signings of Mohammad Nabi and Shreyas Gopal, considering them valuable additions for their respective prices.
“Nuwan Thushara and Dilshan Madushanka – two fantastic players. Also, Mohammad Nabi and Shreyas Gopal two very good buys for their price. They can offer you a lot. I think they did pretty well. All the young bowlers will feed off Jasprit Bumrah. I absolutely love the look of Coetzee, Madushanka and Thushara only for ₹15 crore,” Villiers further added.
The Mumbai Indians enter the auction with a purse of Rs 17.75 crore, the third lowest among all teams. They acquired eight players for a total of Rs 16.70 crore, with Coetzee being their costliest pick. They secured Mohammad Nabi for Rs 1.5 crore and Shreyas Gopal for Rs 20 lakh.
Gerald Coetzee Impressed Me A Lot – AB de Villiers
The former South African skipper reminisced about facing Gerald Coetzee in a match several years ago, praising the young bowler for his impressive pace on the field. De Villiers described Coetzee’s acquisition as a steal compared to some other players in the auction.
“I faced this guy about 6-7 years ago. I think he was 18 or 19 years old and he impressed me a lot. He had a lot of steam, a lot of presence. He was in my face in that game. He is going to the mighty Mumbai Indians only for ₹5 crore. That’s a lot of money, but if you compare it to some other players, this was a steal,” Villiers stated.
Also read: IPL Auction 2024: IPL Gets Bigger, Better, And Stronger Every Year- AB de Villiers
