IPL 2020 News: Mitchell Starc opts out, Glenn Maxwell lists his name in the auction pool
Mitchell Starc has opted to remove his name from the auction list for the upcoming IPL 2020 Auction. On the other hand, the hard-hitting batsman Glenn Maxwell has listed his name at a maximum base price of ₹2 crores this year. The highly anticipated auction is set to take place in Kolkata on 19th December.
Starc has removed his name for a second consecutive year. The 29-year-old last featured for the Royal Challengers Bangalore back in 2015. Starc was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders for a mammoth ₹9.4 crores in the IPL 2018 Auction. However, he didn't feature in any games for KKR after being sidelined due to an injury.
The highest wicket-taker in the 2015 and 2019 Cricket World Cup, Starc was suffering from injury issues ahead of IPL 2019 as well. While he has prioritised his national stint over IPL on multiple occasions, Starc recently signed for Welsh Fire for $160,000 in The Hundred, which will take place next year.
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Glenn Maxwell had earlier taken a break from the game as he was experiencing some difficulties with regards to his mental health in the middle of a T20I series against Sri Lanka. However, he has made himself available for the IPL Auction, which seems to be an uplifting sign.
Maxwell had also opted out of IPL 2019 to focus on the Cricket World Cup. While he struggled for most of 2019 with form issues, Maxwell's inclusion in the auction list could incite a bidding war among the IPL franchises this year.
The likes of Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Eoin Morgan, Tom Banton, and Chris Morris are expected to attract enormous bids in the upcoming auction. As 73 slots are available for the teams to bid for, 29 of them will be available for the overseas players.