IPL Auction 2024: 7 Things That Happened for the 1st Time in IPL History

The IPL Auction 2024 held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai was historical in almost every aspect. Not only was the auction held overseas for the first time in its 16-year history, but it was also the most expensive to date. 

Several groundbreaking events took place during the auction, leaving cricket fans all over the world in awe. This year's auction pushed the boundaries of IPL history and cemented the status of the Indian Premier League as the most successful domestic cricket league, not only in India but around the world. 

After some intense bidding wars, here's how the 🔟 teams look 😎

Which squad do you reckon is the strongest 🤔#IPLAuction | #IPL pic.twitter.com/iAkOgODwTw

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 20, 2023

Here are the seven things that happened for the first time in the history of the IPL.

1. The IPL Auction, for the first time since the league’s inception in 2007, took place outside India. In its history of 16 years, the auction for the league has always been held in India. However, the IPL 2024 auction was held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 19, 2023. 
2. In 16 years, the auctioneer for the league has always been a male, but not this time. For the 2024 IPL, the auction was hosted by a female auctioneer, Mallika Sagar. Born in Maharashtra, Sagar has a degree in history from the University of Philadelphia. She has also hosted auctions for the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and the WPL (Women’s Premier League). 
3. This is the first time the bid for a player has reached the 20 crore mark. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are the only two players in the elite 20 crore club. No other player’s bid has reached this mark, ever.
4. Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player in the history of IPL. Starc was acquired for a staggering Rs 24.75 crore by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Just mere hours ago, this record was held by Pat Cummins, who was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50 crore.
5. For the first time, pacers were given more preference than spinners. Pacers were bought for a combined total of INR 154.5 crore, which is two-thirds of the total money spent on bowlers. 
6. Sameer Rizvi, who was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for Rs. 8.4 crore, is now tied with Kings XI Punjab’s Varun Chakravarthy as the most expensive non-capped player who has not played in the IPL before. 
7. Pat Cummins broke Yuvraj Singh’s record. Cummins's total bidding price over six IPL auctions amounts to Rs 54.15 crore, which is more than Yuvraj Singh's approximate total of Rs 48.1 crore over six auctions.

Also Read | IPL Auction 2024: Full Most Expensive, Sold and Unsold Players List