Australia captain Pat Cummins expressed his happiness about joining Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year, as the 2023 ODI World Cup winner became the most expensive player in the league's history after being acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for Rs 20.50 crore on Tuesday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
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"Pumped to be joining SRH for the upcoming IPL. I have heard a lot of Orange Army, I have played in Hyderabad a few times and loved it. I cannot wait to get started. Happy to see another Aussie Travis Head. We are going to have a lot of fun this season and hopefully a lot of success," said Cummins in a video message posted by SRH.
With an base price of Rs 2 crore, Cummins drew the attention of Mumbai Indians, marking their entry into the bidding war. As the bidding escalated, Mumbai withdrew and Royal Challengers Bangalore entered the fray against CSK. Just when it seemed RCB were poised to secure the player, SRH joined the battle, setting the stage for an intense bidding war in the following minutes.
The entire arena erupted in cheers and applause as Cummins touched the Rs 20 crore mark. Eventually, RCB conceded and SRH secured the Australian fast bowler's services for Rs 20.50 crore.
Previously, Sam Curran held the record with a price tag of Rs 18.50 crore, acquired by Punjab Kings.
Cummins has tken 55 T20 international wickets in 50 matches, with his best figures being 3/15. Additionally, his batting stats in 128 T20Is include three fifties, positioning him as a valuable asset in the lower batting order.
Notably, Cummins enjoyed considerable success this year as a captain, leading Australia to victories in the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup, triumphing over India on both occasions.
(With ANI inputs)
