SRH stars offered $10 million each to quit international cricket ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 series: Reports

With the Big Bash League (BBL) set to be privatised, reports have emerged that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) duo of Pat Cummins and Travis Head were offered nearly $10 million a year to be available for T20 franchise cricket only. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the offer was rejected by the players, citing their commitment to Australian cricket.

Currently, the top Aussie players earn approximately $1.5 million per year from their national contracts. Meanwhile, Cummins' deal with SRH was worth $3.7 million last year, while Head earned about $1.2 million. Cummins, who captains Australia in ODI and Tests, earns $3 million from playing international cricket.

According to a report by nine.com.au, Australian cricketers are behind Formula 1 racing driver Oscar Piastri and those competing in sports like AFL and NFL. The top-earning athletes compete with private ownership.

While Head has been picked in both the ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming home series against India, Cummins is recovering from a back stress problem and racing against time to be fit for the 2025-26 Ashes.

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Pat Cummins and Travis Head were crucial in SRH's road to the final in 2024

Pat Cummins and Travis Head. (Image Credits: Getty)

Cummins and Head played integral roles in SRH's road to the final during IPL 2024. The Aussie skipper, who was also appointed as captain of the franchise, fetched a whopping ₹20.50 crore during the auction ahead of the season. Head, the explosive opener, attracted a bid of ₹6.80 crore.

Head formed a fearsome opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma in IPL 2024 and aggregated 567 runs in 15 games at 40.50 alongside a strike rate of 191.55. Cummins carried off his 2023 World Cup success and displayed astute leadership skills in key moments to propel the SunRisers to the final. The right-arm speedster finished with 18 scalps in 16 matches at 31.44.

SRH faced the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the summit clash but lost by eight wickets as their batting line-up folded like a pack of cards. The Aussie duo is likely to be retained by the franchise ahead of the 2026 edition despite their seesaw performances in IPL 2025.