The Indian Premier League auction floor turned into a battlefield of bidding wars on Wednesday, and at the heart of it stood Australia’s invincible captain, Pat Cummins. In a historical moment, SunRisers Hyderabad emerged victorious, snatching Cummins away from rivals like Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bangalore with a record-breaking bid of INR 20.5 crore.

Cummins, overwhelmed by the support from his new “Orange Army”, expressed his excitement to join forces with fellow Aussie Travis Head and contribute to SRH’s upcoming season. “I’ve heard a lot about the passionate fans and electrifying atmosphere in Hyderabad,” he shared, hinting at the upcoming six-hitting extravaganza with Head by his side.

ALSO READ: SRH Buys Pat Cummins For Highest Ever Price Of ₹20.5 crores

This astronomical deal not only etched Cummins’ name as the most expensive IPL player ever, surpassing Sam Curran’s 18.5 crore record, but also solidified his position as the most valuable Australian in the tournament’s history, eclipsing Cameron Green’s previous record of 17.5 crore. This wasn’t Cummins’ first encounter with IPL’s stratospheric prices, as the Kolkata Knight Riders had previously shelled out 15.5 crore for his services in 2020.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 PAT 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 🧡

Welcome, Cummins! 🫡#HereWeGOrange pic.twitter.com/qSLh5nDbLM

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) December 19, 2023

Before making their headline-grabbing acquisition, SRH had already snapped up another World Cup hero, Travis Head, for INR 6.80 crore. Head, whose World Cup final century against India etched his name in cricketing history, witnessed a heated bidding war between CSK and SRH, ultimately finding his home in the orange camp.

HISTORIC. PRECIOUS. CUMMINS. #HereWeGOrange pic.twitter.com/1TOxCVjGEn

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) December 19, 2023

Most Expensive Australian players in IPL

• Pat Cummins: INR 20.5 crore, SRH, 2024
• Cameron Green: INR 17.5 crore, MI, 2022
• Pat Cummins: INR 15.5 crore, KKR, 2020
• Glenn Maxwell: INR 14.25 crore, RCB, 2021
• Jhye Richardson: INR 14 crore, PBKS, 2021
• Steve Smith: INR 12 crore, RR, 2018
• David Warner: INR 12 crore, SRH, 2018

ALSO READ: Lucknow Super Giants Secures Shivam Mavi For ₹6.4 Crore

With these strategic acquisitions, the SunRisers Hyderabad have sent a strong message of intent, stocking their arsenal with World Cup-winning prowess and Australian firepower. The rest of the IPL world watches with bated breath, wondering who will emerge victorious in the remaining clashes of this cricketing colosseum.