Pat Cummins becomes the second-most expensive player in IPL history
Australia's World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins has been sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. Cummins, who started a bidding war, fetched Rs. 20.5 crore. He became the costliest buy in IPL history before Mitchell Starc broke his record. In the IPL, Cummins has been a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, and Delhi Capitals.
Cummins is only behind Starc
As mentioned, Cummins is now the second-most expensive player in the history of the competition. He had gone past England all-rounder Sam Curran to become the most expensive player. The latter fetched Rs. 18.5 crore from Punjab Kings (PBKS) last year. However, later in the event, Cummins's Australian teammate and pacer Mitchell Starc overtook him. KKR bought Starc for Rs. 24.75 crore.
Cummins's attributes in IPL
As mentioned, Cummins has previously represented teams like Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and KKR in the IPL. Besides troubling batters with his thunderbolts, Cummins can also contribute with handy runs lower down the order. He owns 45 wickets in 42 IPL games at an economy of 8.54. Cummins has smoked three fifties in the tournament.
Cummins, the match-winner!
Cummins has emerged as a match-winner in international cricket. He has now led Australia to the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup titles. Hence, his leadership and experience will play a role in the auction.
His IPL journey
Cummins started his IPL journey with KKR in 2014. He played for DC in 2017 before getting back to the Knight Riders (2020). The Australian pacer received a staggering Rs. 15.5 crore in 2020 from KKR. The Knight Riders yet again bought Cummins in the 2022 mega auction for Rs. 7.5 crore. He skipped the 2023 edition due to workload management.