Pat Cummins Kavya Maran for SRH. Image Credits: AFP/X
On May 17, Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad bowed out of the IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. Suffering a 47-run heartbreaking loss at Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, SRH saw the end of their IPL 2026 campaign.
SRH had several explosive outings. Notably, in their home stretch, they also set a unique record by logging their ninth successive win against the Punjab Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
The 2016 winners finished third in the league standings with 18 points, qualifying for the playoffs, but their campaign ended in the Eliminator. Coached by Daniel Vettori, the team saw captaincy duties shared between Ishan Kishan and Pat Cummins.
As SRH’s IPL 2026 season concludes, attention now shifts towards the performances of their big names. Especially, the permanent captain, Cummins, who joined the team mid-way through the tournament.
Pat Cummins’ IPL 2026 Price
The Australian captain, Pat Cummins, briefly held the title of the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction after he was sold for Rs 20.5 Crore to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai on December 19, 2023.
Cummins broke the record of England’s Sam Curran, who was sold at Rs 18.5 Crore to the Punjab Kings in the 2023 IPL auction.
Also read: Most Expensive Players In IPL History
Since then, he has been a vital cog in the SRH squad and was retained by the IPL franchise at a salary of ₹18 crore. He continues to serve as the captain for the franchise, commanding a massive portion of the team's auction budget.
Pat Cummins’ performance in IPL 2026
Playing competitive cricket after a 4-month hiatus due to a prolonged back injury, Cummins had a difficult run in the IPL 2026.
Barring his first match of the season against Rajasthan Royals on April 25, where he finished with decent bowling figures of 1/27 in 4 overs, the Australian captain endured an expensive tournament.
He leaked runs at an economy of 9.59 in the eight games he played. He finished the tournament with 8 wickets, which included a 3-fer against the Chennai Super Kings.
Take a look at Pat Cummins’ Bowling Stats in IPL 2026:
| Criterion | Data |
| Matches | 8 |
| Balls Bowled | 192 |
| Runs Conceded | 307 |
| Wickets | 8 |
| BBM | 3/28 |
| Economy | 9.59 |
Pat Cummins’ Cost per Wicket
Before calculating the SRH captain’s cost per wicket, let’s calculate Cummins’ total earnings in the IPL 2026.
Pat Cummins' total IPL 2026 earnings = Retention salary + Per Match fees - Fine for slow over-rate.
Which literally translates to 18 cr + (7.5 lakhs*8) - 12 lakhs = 18,00,00,000 + 60,00,000 -12,00,00 = 18,48,00,000, that is, Rs 18.48 Crores.
Cummins finished the season with 8 wickets. Thus, his cost per wicket comes down to 18,48,00,000/8 = Rs 2,31,00,000.
Conclusion: Cummins’ value as a leader much higher
It is worth noting that Cummins missed the first half of the IPL 2026 to fully recover from a lingering back stress fracture. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan led the team for the first seven matches before Cummins took over the captaincy duties upon his return in late April.
Evidently, upon his inclusion in the SRH playing 11, he provided significant leadership and served as a vital strike bowler for the SRH during their run. Under his leadership, the 2016 winners finished the league stage at third and qualified for the business end of the IPL 2026.
Thus, even though he could not provide impact as a player, Pat Cummins’ leadership abilities can never be questioned.
On top of that, the Australian captain has time and again expressed his will to play in the IPL, affirming his loyalty towards the SRH.
Considering his tactical acumen and his proven record as a captain, leading Australia to 4 major ICC trophies, Cummins remains an invaluable member of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad.
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