As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, the fast-bowling all-rounder has received a three-year agreement that would yield him nearly $4 million each year. Currently, Cummins is playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026.
This news comes amid increasing worries about the appeal of franchise cricket, with prior reports suggesting that an IPL franchise had approached Cummins with an AUD 10 million (around $6.6 million) contract to withdraw from international cricket and participate solely in global T20 leagues.
James Allsopp, the head of cricket at Cricket Australia, stated to the Sydney Morning Herald, “Absolutely. They’ve earned the right, they’ve been long-term performers for Australia across formats for a long period of time. There’s only so far you can take them under the current constraints. That’s definitely a priority at the moment.”
“It is a really tricky balancing act. One thing we do know is that the market pressure is coming at the players who drive the most commercial value. Your multi-format players like Pat, Josh [Hazlewood], and Trav, there’s a lot of demand for those players. So ensuring they remain committed to Australian cricket is a really big priority,” he added.
The proposed deal from Cricket Australia is viewed as a crucial step to retain one of the nation’s top stars at a time when franchise leagues are significantly altering the international cricket scene. Cummins, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), is among the highest-paid international players in the league, having been retained for ₹18 crore prior to last year’s mega auction.
He has led the team admirably, finishing as the runners-up in 2024, and is currently helping them secure the top position on the points table in the current iteration of the competition.
First Published: May 7, 2026 6:45 PM IST
