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Australia Women's captain Alyssa Healy has clarified that the viral video of her enjoying a beer had no relation to husband Mitchell Starc’s record pay at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction. She revealed that she was working hard in the gym when the action in Dubai unfolded.
Aussie left-arm pacer Starc became the most expensive player to be purchased in the history of the IPL auction when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought him for ₹24.75 crore.
Soon after the Australian World Cup star bagged the record pay, a video of Healy went viral in which she was seen enjoying a beer and expressing her astonishment at something. Some social media users claimed that she was reacting to Starc’s auction pay.
At a press conference ahead of the one-off Test against India Women, Healy insisted that the video had no connection with Starc getting picked for a massive sum at the IPL 2024 auction.
“I was actually in the gym, not thinking of beers, working hard (and) watching it all unfold. (It was an) amazing day for him and Pat (Cummins),” she said.
The 33-year-old added that Starc deserved the massive paycheck as he has been working hard for several years.
“Look, it is what it is. It is an amazing moment for Mitch. It is a great justification for the hard work he has put in and (for) probably some of the choices he has made over the last eight years to put his country first,” Healy commented.
While Starc was picked up by KKR for ₹24.75 crore, Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins was sold to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for ₹20.50 crore.
“Unbelievably huge shoes to fill” - Healy on replacing Meg Lanning as captain
Following Meg Lanning’s shock retirement, Healy was recently named as Australia Women's captain. She will be in charge as Australia take on India Women in the one-off Test, which begins in Mumbai on Thursday, December 21.
About the leadership challenger, Healy said:
"Yeah, first I think it is unbelievably huge shoes to fill and in the sense of replacing Meg Lanning, I think the success that she had not only as a player but obviously as a leader of the Australian cricket team is fairly unmatched right around the men's and the women's game. So big shoes to fill on my part, but one that's really a challenge.”
After the one-off Test, Australia Women will face India Women in three ODIs and three T20Is.
