National
IPL 2024 Auction: Mitchell Starc Becomes Most Expensive Player In History, Bought By KKR For ₹24.75 Crore
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Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc broke the all-time record for the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League after he was bought for a whopping ₹24.75 Crore by Kolkata Knight Riders at the auction in Dubai.
Starc broke the record for the highest bid in IPL auction history just minutes after his Australia captain Pat Cummins was sold for ₹20.50 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The left-arm pacer drew the maximum eyeballs when his name came up in the auction. The 33-year-old has not played in the IPL since 2015 after making his debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014.
KKR justify Starc’s price tag
“The entire salary cap for franchises when IPL started in 2008 was ₹20 crore. Things have changed.
“But our view is, when the auction is over all the 10 teams are going to walk out of the auction having spent ₹100 crores. And each team decides to slice it differently.”So what you have paid to somebody, up or down, is a matter of perspective. Ultimately we are all spending the same amount of money,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore justified the amount paid for Starc.
Notable Acquisitions in the IPL 2024 Auction
In addition to the significant acquisition of Pat Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured the services of Travis Head, the hero of the World Cup final, for a substantial sum of Rs 6.80 crore.
Harshal Patel, previously with Royal Challengers Bangalore, emerged as a sought-after player, fetching a lucrative deal from Punjab Kings, who invested Rs 11.75 crore in the out-of-favor Indian pacer.
Daryl Mitchell, following his impressive performance in the ODI World Cup, enjoyed a substantial payday as Chennai Super Kings splurged Rs 14 crore to secure the services of the New Zealand batter.
National
Ex-Mumbai captain Milind Rege passes away; players wear black armbands in Ranji Trophy match
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New Delhi, Feb 19: Former Mumbai captain Milind Rege passed away on Wednesday in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest. He was 76. He is survived by his wife Raj and two sons.
The Mumbai Cricket Association took to X to share the condolence message: “Deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Milind Rege. A stalwart of Mumbai cricket, he served with dedication as Captain, Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee, Managing Committee Member, and Advisor. His legacy will forever be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.”
The stalwart of Mumbai cricket, Rege was part of five consecutive Ranji Trophy title-winning seasons. An off-spinning all-rounder claimed 126 wickets in 52 first-class matches between 1966-67 and 1977-78. He also amassed 1532 runs, averaging 23.56 in those games.
Following his playing career, Rege remained closely involved with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), holding various roles including selector and chief selector at different times. In 2020, he was appointed as an advisor to the MCA.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Milind Rege Sir. A true stalwart of Mumbai cricket, his invaluable contributions as a player, selector, and mentor shaped generations of cricketers. His unwavering support and guidance will always be remembered, and his legacy will continue to inspire. He always stood by me, and I will forever be grateful. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace,” said MCA chief Ajinkya Naik.
Both the Mumbai and Vidarbha teams in the ongoing Ranji Trophy semi-final in Nagpur observed a minute’s silence before the start of the third day’s play in Rege’s memory. The Mumbai players also wore black arm bands.
Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri also condoled the demise of his friend. “Really sad to hear about the demise of a dear friend Milind Rege. A true champion in his contribution to Mumbai and Tata’s cricket all-round. A Mentor Par Excellence. Heartfelt condolences to Raj and family. God bless his soul,” he shared on X.
National
Air India Super League 2025: Travel High Titans Clinch Title In First-Ever Pan-India Cricket Tournament
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Travel High Titans won the first edition of Air India Super League 2025, Air India’s first-ever pan-India cricket tournament. The Air India Super League 2025 brought together over 500 participants from 48 leading travel partners spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai strengthening its ties with the industry.
Designed as both a competitive sporting event and a dynamic networking platform, the Air India Super League 2025 aimed to foster camaraderie between Air India and its valued travel partners, including travel management companies and online travel agents.
During the tournament, teams from various cities competed in regional Round Robin matches, with winners advancing to the National Finale in New Delhi. Air India flew down qualifying teams to the capital for the grand finale, held on Sunday at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi. Team Travel High Titans won the first Air India Super League 2025 trophy by 62 runs, beating Tripjack Warriors in a thrilling final match.
The Round Robin Winner trophy was awarded to the top team from each of the four cities, while finalists competed for the ultimate championship title. Participants and winners were also recognized in multiple categories, including ‘Man of the Match’, ‘Best Fielder’, ‘Most Catches in Air India Super League 2025’, ‘Player of Air India Super League 2025’, among others.
“With the Air India Super League 2025, Air India aims to create engaging and memorable experiences for its travel partners while also offering them a platform for networking,” said an official from Air India.
National
Gukesh, Manu, Harmanpreet, Praveen picked for Khel Ratna Award
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New Delhi, Jan 2: World Chess champion Gukesh D and Paris Olympics and Paralympics medallists – Manu Bhaker (shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey) and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete) are to be conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 by President of India Droupadi Murmu at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced on Thursday.
Gukesh recently became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after outclassing China’s Ding Liren in the title battle in Singapore.
Manu became the first Indian athlete to win twin medals in a single edition of the Games in Paris, following a double bronze in the 10 m air pistol and 10 m air pistol mixed team event.
On the other hand, Harmanpreet led India to their second successive bronze medal in men’s hockey while Praveen bagged gold in the high jump T64 in the Paralympics.
Apart from the Khel Ratna, the Sports Ministry also named a 32-athlete list for the Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2024. The list includes Jyothi Yarraji, Annu Rani, Nitu, Saweety, Vantika Agrawal, Salima Tete, Abhishek, Sanjay, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, H Hokato Sema, Simran, Navdeep, Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan, Manisha Ramadass, Kapil Parmar, Mona Agarwal, Rubina Francis, Swapnil Suresh Kusale, Sarabjot Singh, Abhay Singh, Sajan Prakash and Aman.
Former cyclist Sucha Singh and former para-swimmer Murlikant Rajaram Petkar were awarded Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) for outstanding performance in Sports and Games.
Subhash Rana (para-shooter), Deepali Deshpande (shooting) and Sandeep Sangwan (hockey) were named Dronacharya Award 2024 recipients.
S Muralidharan (badminton) and Armando Agnelo Colaco (football) were awarded the Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category.
Physical Education Foundation of India was given the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar while Chandigarh University (overall winner), Lovely Professional University (first runner-up) and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (second runner-up) were awarded Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2024.
The overall top-performing university in Khelo India University Games is given the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.
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