The rule set by the Indian Premier League (IPL) management for how many foreign players can play in IPL is the same as in previous seasons - eight overseas players can be kept in a squad and four can play in the playing eleven.

Before the IPL 2024 auction on December 19, 2023, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, a total of 333 names were selected by the IPL teams for the much-celebrated auction. Among them, 214 players were Indians and 119 were foreigners. There were 77 spots available for the 10 teams combined out of which 30 were exclusive to overseas players.

Among the list of global superstars, who were not Indian, multiple big names were missing. To manage their workloads, Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Jofra Archer—all three English players—withdrew from IPL 2024. Ahead of the auction, Bangladesh superstars Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan’s names were also absent from the trimmed list of 333 players.

IPL 2024 Overseas Player Rules Auction Updates

The talk of the town was understandably Kolkata Knight Riders’ whopping Rs. 24.75 crores bid of Australian speedster Mitchell Starc, who had last played in the Indian Premier League in 2015. Having missed out on the playoff spot quite a few times in the last couple of seasons, KKR decided to go all out for the Australian veteran and his experience could be a huge boost for the two-time IPL champions.

Justifying the amount spent on Starc, KKR CEO Venky Mysore said, “... Obviously he (Starc) was a preferred player from a skill set standpoint. Initially, we were not successful in some of the bids. Maybe that worked in our favour because we did end up having money to do this. So we're just thankful that we were able to have him on our side.”

The second top buy at the IPL 2024 went to Starc’s compatriot Pat Cummins, who has just recently led Australia to the 2023 ODI World Cup title on Indian soil. With Sunrisers Hyderabad desperately looking for a captain having lost David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan in the last couple of seasons, Cummins would be a great choice for a price of Rs. 20.5 crores.

Revealing the team’s plans to keep Cummins in a leadership role, Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori said, “I think it's obviously a discussion (on Cummins being a leader at SRH). There is a lot of cricket to be played between now and the IPL 2024 and Cummins has been so successful for Australia. World Cup winner, he pretty much wins everything he touches. So it will surely be a conversation to have."

The third most expensive buy was done by the defending champions Chennai Super Kings who spent Rs. 14 crores on New Zealand hard-hitter Daryl Mitchell. Mitchell’s strong build to send spinners over the rope while standing at his crease will go a long way in helping CSK negotiate the spinning conditions in the tournament.

Speaking on Mithcell’s buy, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said, “It's not just who you get but it is the planning you do behind that. Mitchell was obviously an important player and that can throw you a little bit. A lot of nerves around it. I am just happy you get that main path under your belt and it went well for us."       

One look at the names that didn’t get any buyers in IPL and it becomes clear how competitive the league has become over the years. While Josh Hazlewood wasn’t picked for his pre-informed absence over the first five weeks of IPL 2024, former Australian skipper Steve Smith, World Cup winner Josh Inglish, South Africa’s Rassie Van Der Dussen and many other big names have failed to find a place in the tournament.

Among other big names with lower base prices who went unsold in the IPL 2024 auction are Jason Holder (Rs. 1.5 crores), Tim Southee (1.5 crores), Colin Munro (1.5 crores) and more.