Mitchell was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings for 14 crore (NZ$2.69m), the second-highest bid put on a New Zealander in tournament history behind Kyle Jamieson in 2021 (NZ$2.86m).
Fellow Black Caps star Rachin Ravindra, who rose to stardom at the Cricket World Cup in India, was also taken by the Super Kings for 50 lakh (NZ$346,000). The Stephen Fleming-coached franchise are the defending champions and already have Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner in the squad. The Super Kings are captained by Indian great MS Dhoni.
New Zealand paceman Lockie Ferguson was the only other Kiwi sold at the auction overnight, going to Royal Challengers Bangalore for 2 crore (NZ$348,000).
"It’s a wonderful franchise and I can’t wait to be a part of it," Mitchell said in a video posted on X. "Also really excited to play with Devon Conway and Mitch Santner and Rachin Ravindra as well as fellow Kiwis and also to learn of MS and play under Flem and experience what it’s like to be in the Chennai changing room."
Mitchell made his Twenty20 debut for New Zealand in 2019 and has been a key member of the Black Caps across all three formats. He rose to prominence on the international stage with a match-winning 72 from 47 balls in the 2021 T20 World Cup semifinal win over England which booked the Black Caps a spot in the final. The 32-year-old was also one of the standout batters at the ODI World Cup in India this year, finishing with 552 runs and two centuries including an impressive 134 in the semifinal defeat to India when the Black Caps were chasing 398 to win.Mitchell Starc became the most expensive signing in the history of the IPL, topping the record figure paid for Australia teammate Pat Cummins at the competition’s auction a few hours earlier.
Starc, a left-arm pacer who was last in the IPL eight years ago, was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for nearly NZ$4.79 million.
That beat the fee paid by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Cummins, who went for nearly NZ$3.99 million.
Before this auction, the record signing was England bowler Sam Curran after he joined Punjab Kings for NZ$3.56 million last year.
It capped a spectacular year for Starc and Cummins, who are coming off winning the Cricket World Cup with Australia last month in the tournament in India.
Cummins and Starc also play in Australia’s test team, which won the World Test Championship final in June before retaining the Ashes after a 2-2 draw in the series with England.
Black Caps Ish Sodhi, Finn Allen, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne all went unsold as did the likes of World Cup winners Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood and Josh Inglis.
The 2024 IPL season will run from the end of March until the end of May
Black Caps in the IPL 2024
Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans), Devon Conway (Chennai Super Kings), Mitchell Santner (Chennai Super Kings), Daryl Mitchell (Chennai Super Kings), Rachin Ravindra (Chennai Super Kings), Trent Boult (Rajasthan Royals) and Glenn Phillips (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Lockie Ferguson (Royal Challengers Bangalore).
