File photo of member Pat Cummins
World Cup-winning Australian cricket team captain Pat Cummins has made history at the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai by breaking the record for the most expensive player in IPL history. Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired the services of Cummins for an unprecedented price of Rs 20.50 crore on Tuesday after an intense bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Starting at a base price of Rs 2 crore, Cummins found himself at the center of a fierce bidding war, primarily involving the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers franchise. In a groundbreaking moment, the all-rounder became the first player in the history of the Indian Premier League to cross the Rs 20-crore mark.
The 30-year-old surpassed the previous record held by English all-rounder Sam Curran, who was snapped up by Punjab Kings for Rs 18.50 crore in the 2023 auction. Cummins not only bagged the title of most expensive overseas player but also bagged the prestigious title For the most expensive player ever in the history of IPL.
Cummins led the Australian team to a historic sixth World Cup title with a win over India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in November.
This is not the first time franchises have sought Cummins’ services to this extent. The Australian all-rounder was earlier acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 15.5 Crores in the IPL 2020 auction.
As far as Cummins’ IPL career is concerned, he played a total of 42 matches, taking 45 wickets. It’s not just Cummins’ bowling that makes him an asset. Batting the order, Cummins made some nice cameos with the bat. With the bat, he has 379 runs at a strike rate of 152.21.
The Sunrisers have not had a stable leadership option over the past few years. Cummins fits into their team not only as a player who can bat, but as a leader who can be given the captaincy.
Topics mentioned in this article