IPL Auctions: Pat Cummins breaks record with Rs 20.50 crore move to Sunrisers Hyderabad

The IPL 2024 auction in Dubai has already made history with Sunrisers Hyderabad securing the services of the 2023 ODI World Cup-winning Australian skipper, Pat Cummins, for a staggering Rs 20.50 crore.

What

• Following a competitive bidding war with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad secured the acquisition of Australian all-rounder Pat Cummins for the forthcoming Indian Premier League 2024 season.

• Sunrisers acquired the 2023 World Cup-winning skipper for a whopping Rs 20.50 crore, leaving everyone inside the Coca Cola arena in Dubai astonished.
• This purchase establishes Pat Cummins as the most expensive IPL acquisition in the competition's entire history.

Highest purchase ever in IPL

• Cummins has already made history in the initial session of the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai.
• Prior to Sunrisers Hyderabad's acquisition of Cummins for Rs 20.50 crore, Sam Curran from England held the title of being the most expensive player last year.

• Punjab Kings bought Curran for a whopping 18.5 crore just after he was named the Player of the Tournament at the 2022 T20 World Cup.

How does it set things up for SRH?

• With the acquisition of Pat Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad finds itself in a perplexing scenario. Before Cummins, SRH added another Australian player to their squad, securing Travis Head for Rs 6.8 crore.
• Hyderabad's team structure hasn't been on par with the other nine franchises, evident from their performances in the last season.

• This purchase for SRH might lead to a change in captains, moving from Aiden Markram to Pat Cummins.
• Pat Cummins, who successfully led Australia to win the 2023 ODI World Cup, is an experienced skipper.

• SRH could tap into this experience by making Cummins the leader of the Hyderabad side.

• While the notion of acquiring a complete all-rounder like Cummins and a star batter like Travis Head seems promising, SRH still faces numerous challenges on their already struggling team.

• Yet, their remaining purse value provides them with limited chances to pursue another prominent player fully.

Expensive purchases so far

• Following Pat Cummins, New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell sealed another big Rs 14 crore move to Chennai Super Kings.
• Indian fast-bowler Harshal Patel was sold for 11.75 crore to the Punjab Kings. 

• West Indian skipper Rovman Powell shocked everyone after coming on as the first player of the auction and sealing a Rs 7.40 crore move to the Rajasthan Royals.