IPL 2025 mega auction: 3 teams who might target Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc picked up 17 wickets in IPL 2024, helping KKR win the title.

One of the biggest names in world cricket who will be available to be bought in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction is Mitchell Starc.

The left-arm Australian speedster was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping INR 24.75 crores in the last mini-auction, becoming the most expensive player in IPL history. While Starc had ordinary performances during the league stage, managing 12 wickets in 12 games, the lanky Australian delivered match-winning spells in Qualifier 1 and the final, bagging Man of the Match awards in KKR’s two-most important games of the season, thus vindicating KKR’s decision to spend such a huge amount on him.

However, the defending champions have released Starc in the mega auction pool. Since this is a mega auction, Starc might not fetch a similar amount this time, but he is likely to be bought for around INR 15 crores. It is to be noted that KKR don’t have any RTM cards left.

Let’s look at three teams who might go after Mitchell Starc in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.

Three teams who might target Mitchell Starc in the IPL 2025 mega auction:

1. Punjab Kings

Given Starc’s international experience and his pedigree to deliver match-winning spells in important games, expect Punjab Kings, who have the largest purse among the 10 franchises, to bid fiercely for the Australian seamer.

PBKS, who have retained only two uncapped players, will head into the mega auction with INR 110.5 crores, aiming to build their squad almost from scratch. With former Australia captain Ricky Ponting now their new coach, PBKS seems primed to target Starc as one of their must-have players in the mega auction.

2. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

RCB have the second-largest purse of INR 83 crores while heading into the mega auction. Their team will be only strengthened if they manage to get Mitchell Starc in the mega auction.

Before playing for KKR in IPL 2024, Starc’s only two IPL seasons previously were for RCB, in 2014 and 2015, when he picked 34 wickets in 27 games. With M. Chinnaswamy their home ground, RCB desperately need quality international pacers who can stem the run flow in the death overs, and there might not be a better option than Starc in the mega auction pool.

3. Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans have retained five players, but none of them is a fast bowler. They have let go of a number of seamers – Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Spencer Johnson, Josh Little, Mohit Sharma, and Darshan Nalkande. Hence, GT will be busy when the pacers category arrives in the mega auction.

They have a decent-sized purse of INR 69 crores, with which they can splurge on a player like Starc, make him their bowling linchpin, and make small purchases of seamers to work around him.

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