Pat Cummins became the second most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history as he was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for a whopping Rs 20.50 crore. Cummins broke England all-rounder Sam Curran’s record who was roped in by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 18.50 crore in the previous mini-auction. Soon after Cummins' Australian teammate Mitchell Starc overtook him by bagging the most expensive pick in the history of IPL after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) acquired him for a colossal sum of Rs 24.75 crore.
During the IPL 2024 auction, an intense bidding battle unfolded initially between CSK and MI, which was then escalated by RCB's entry. Soon after, SRH joined the fray, adding to the competition. The bidding war heated up between RCB and SRH, much to the entertainment of the audience. SRH persisted and ultimately succeeded in acquiring Cummins.
The fast bowler has had stints with Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past. In the 2020 auction, KKR secured him for a record Rs 15.5 crore. After being released, Cummins was re-signed by KKR for nearly a million dollars (Rs 7.25 crore) two seasons later.
Cummins is known for his remarkable 14-ball half-century against Mumbai Indians in 2022, playing for KKR, which is tied as the second-fastest fifty in IPL history.
In his IPL career, spanning 42 games, Cummins has taken 45 wickets with an economy rate of 8.54 and has scored 359 runs.
Under his leadership, Australia clinched the World Test Championship in June, retained the Ashes in England, and then secured victory against India at home to win the ODI World Cup.
Cummins is making a comeback to the IPL, having opted out of the previous season with Kolkata Knight Riders due to a packed schedule that included an India Test tour, the World Test Championship final, the Ashes, and the ODI World Cup.
After the auction, SRH, which started with Rs 34 crore, was left with only Rs 5.2 crore following the signings of Cummins, Travis Head, and Wanindu Hasaranga.
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