Cricket: Daryl Mitchell nets $2.7 million, Rachin Ravindra $350000 ...

Daryl Mitchell was the big winner for the Blackcaps, selling for more than $2.7 million at the annual Indian Premier League auction.

While Rachin Ravindra was tipped for a huge payday after his breakout Cricket World Cup campaign, it was Mitchell who was subject of a bidding war, and picked up 14 crore for his services.

As Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings went toe-to-toe for Mitchell's signature, former Blackcaps coach Stephen Fleming entered the race late and added the Blackcaps batter to his already star-studded squad.

Mitchell's World Cup success clearly did enough to catch the eye of the IPL franchises, after not one, but two centuries against India during the recently completed World Cup.

While Ravindra didn't pick up the millions he was expected, though, Fleming also picked up the young all-rounder, paying NZ$350,000 for the 24-year-old.

Mitchell and Ravindra will join Chennai for the upcoming season, where they'll reunite with international teammates Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner.

Elsewhere, Lockie Ferguson will return to the IPL, after he was sold for two crore to Royal Challengers Bangalore, or just shy of NZ$385,000.

The trio will join Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans), Trent Boult (Rajasthan Royals) and Glenn Phillips (Sunrisers Hyderabad) as Kiwis playing in the next IPL season. 

But while three Kiwis were sold, the list of those who didn't makes for bad reading for Blackcaps fans.  

Despite once being the most expensive New Zealander ever sold at the IPL, when he netted $2.9 million in 2021, none of the 10 franchises bid for Kyle Jamieson, seeing him miss out for 2024.

Ish Sodhi, Finn Allen, Colin Munro, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry and Adam Milne all also went unsold.

The big winners on the night were Australia, reflecting their victory at this year's World Cup in India.

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc became the most expensive player ever sold at an IPL auction when he went to Kolkata Knight Riders for 24.75 crore, or NZ$4.75 million.

Captain Pat Cummins had held that record after he sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier in the night for NZ $3.94 million. Travis Head, who was man of the match in the World Cup final, netted NZ $1.3m - also selling to Sunrisers.