Cummins, Head prefer country over franchise; reject ₹58 crore IPL offer

Australia captain Pat Cummins and star batter Travis Head have reportedly declined a staggering AUD 10 million (₹58.2 crore approx.) offer from an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise that sought to lure them away from international cricket to play exclusively in overseas T20 leagues.

According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, both players turned down the lucrative offer, reaffirming their commitment to representing Australia across formats. Cummins and Head currently feature for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL, with contracts worth ₹18 crore and ₹14 crore, respectively.

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In addition to their IPL earnings, Australia’s top cricketers earn around AUD 1.5 million (₹8.74 crore approx.) annually from their central contracts. Cummins, who also draws a captaincy allowance, earns close to AUD 3 million (₹17.48 crore) per year from international cricket.

The revelation about the rejected offers reportedly emerged during discussions between Cricket Australia (CA), state associations and the players’ union regarding the potential privatisation of the Big Bash League (BBL).

“But according to three senior cricket sources not authorised to speak about private discussions, they have surfaced in talks between Cricket Australia, the state associations and the players’ union about whether to privatise the Big Bash League,” the SMH report stated.

“The offers have been used as an example of how tenuous Australian cricket’s hold on its players is becoming, and as part of the argument for bolstering the BBL with private capital that would raise player salaries, and also link the T20 league into a growing global network of franchise owners,” it added.

While Cummins and Head are among Australia’s highest-paid cricketers, their annual earnings still fall short compared to the country’s top athletes in other sports.

Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri reportedly earns around AUD 40 million, followed by NBA player Josh Giddey (AUD 38 million) and NFL star Jordan Mailata (AUD 34 million), all of whom compete in privately owned leagues.

The growing influence of franchise-based T20 leagues has already prompted several international players to step away from national duties. Earlier this year, South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen, a teammate of Cummins and Head at SRH, announced his retirement from international cricket to focus solely on global T20 competitions.

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