Irfan Pathan Names A Fast Bowler That Every Team Will Be Eyeing In IPL 2024 Auction: “Unka Naam Sab Team Chahegi”

During his appearance on a recent show for Star Sports Network, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan named Australian speedster Mitchell Starc to be of common interest among all franchises during Indian Premier League 2024 auction in Dubai later this month. Pathan, also a left-armer, highlighted Starc’s skill set of bowling in excess of 140 kmph as a chief reason behind skyrocketing demand.

Post remaining unavailable with regard to the IPL since 2015 due to several reasons, Starc has registered himself for the forthcoming 17th season.

With ICC T20 World Cup 2024 to be played hardly a couple of weeks after IPL 2024, a lot of high-profile international names were always going to show interest in the cash-rich league this time round.

Since no other tournament would provide this level of practice before a world event, Starc is one of the 25 players (including seven Aussies) to have registered themselves for the highest base price category of INR 2 crore.

“Mitchell Starc, agar wo hain. Dekhiye, unka naam sab team chahegi, ke bhai aap hamari team me hi aao. RCB chahegi bhai aap hamari team me se khel rahe the, aap hamari team me aao. Mumbai Indians ke paas ek fast bowler ki kami hain, Jofra Archer ko jaane diya. Woh kahenge aap hamari team mein aao. Alzarri Joseph jaane diya Gujarat Titans ne, woh kahenge aap hamari team mein aao, hamare paas toh bahut zyada paisa maujood hain [Each team would want Mitchell Starc, if he is available. RCB would want him since he has previously played for them. Mumbai Indians have lost a fast bowler in Jofra Archer, they would want him. GT lost one, too, in Alzarri Joseph. So, they might request Starc to join them since they have a lot of money],” Pathan told Star Sports.

Starc, 33, had represented Royal Challengers Bangalore during the seventh and eighth seasons of the IPL picking 34 wickets at an average and economy rate of 20.38 and 7.17 respectively across 27 matches.

Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping INR 9.4 crore during IPL 2018 auction, the southpaw was unfortunately ruled out of the tournament due to a stress fracture in his right leg. A desire to focus on international cricket and spending time with wife Alyssa Healy at home resulted in Starc distancing himself from the IPL in the recent years.

Irfan Pathan Puts In A Good Word For Azmatullah Omarzai

Right after Starc, Irfan Pathan also put in a good word for Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai – a right-handed batter and a right-arm medium-pace bowler.

Having scored 353 runs at an average of 70.60 and a strike rate of 97.78 and dismissed seven batters at an economy rate of 7.10 across nine ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 matches, Omarzai made the most of his maiden ODI World Cup. Albeit in a losing cause, him scoring 97* (107) against South Africa in their last group match in Ahmedabad banged enough drum for his succession at the world stage.

Pathan, whose affinity for the Afghan cricketers was visible after he danced with them post their crucial wins in the tournament, predicted Omarzai to become the ninth cricketer from his nation to partake in the IPL.