Renowned Australian skipper Pat Cummins made history on Tuesday, December 19, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai by bidding INR 20.50 crore to become the most expensive player ever in an IPL mini-auction. He surpassed England all-rounder Sam Curran‘s record, which was set when the Punjab Kings purchased him for INR 18.5 crore in the Indian Premier League 2023 mini-auction.
The Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad expressed interest in the Australian all-rounder, who began at a base price of INR 2 crore. But after placing a few bids, CSK and MI withdrew, while RCB and SRH continued to escalate the bidding war with bigger offers every second.
Finally choosing not to bid, RCB, with a purse of INR 23.25 crore left, made it possible for SRH to purchase Pat Cummins for an incredible INR 20.50 crore.
With triumphs in the 2023 World Test Championship and ODI World Cup, Cummins has had a wonderful year wearing the national colors. The enormous remuneration is the cherry on top. Under his direction, Australia also secured the Ashes in England for the second time in a row, tying the series at 2-2.
With such a large sum in his pocket, the 30-year-old, should he play in every Indian Premier League 2024 game, would receive INR 6.1 lakh for each ball he bowls. In the past, Pat Cummins has played in 42 Indian Premier League games for the Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, taking 45 wickets at an average of 30.16 and an economy of 8.54.
Along with scoring the third-fastest fifty in IPL history, Pat Cummins has amassed 379 runs at a strike average of INR 152.21 during his IPL career, including three half-centuries. During Match 14 of IPL 2022 at Pune, the Sydney-born cricketer achieved the milestone in just 14 balls against the Mumbai Indians, and he currently owns the record for the joint second-fastest fifty in IPL history.
After splitting from David Warner following a terrible 2021 season, SRH has been without a leader. The Australian speedster is a great addition to the team.
India
