‘He’s a Test bowler… T20 not his best format’: Jason Gillespie on Pat Cummins’ Rs 20.50 crore price tag in IPL 2024 auction | Cricket News

Former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie has wondered out aloud if the price that Pat Cummins commanded at the recent Indian Premier League auction at Dubai’s Cola Cola Arena was justified.
Cummins, who captained the Australian cricket team to their sixth World title in India last month, was picked the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a massive price tag of Rs 20.50 crore. Teams like Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals had come into the auction with a purse that was lesser than the price SRH paid for Cummins, thus making him the first cricketer in IPL hory to have a price tag beyond Rs 20 crore.
After starting at a base price of Rs 2 crore, his price tag rose at a frenzied pace as four teams — Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad — duelled for his signature.
“Pat’s obviously a quality bowler and a quality leader, we’ve seen that. I just don’t think T20 is his best format,” former Australia pacer Gillespie told SEN Radio. “I think he’s a Test bowler, personally. I think Test cricket is his absolute bread and butter.”

Cummins has 55 wickets in 50 T20I matches at an average of 24.54 and economy rate of 7.37 in T20Is.
“He’s a good T20 bowler, make no make. But that’s massive overs for me,” Gillespie added.
Gillespie though said there was no doubt about the price tag that another Australian commanded in the auction: Mitchell Starc being bought Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 24.75 crore.
Starc last played in the IPL in 2015, eight seasons ago. Starc has usually preferred to play for the Australian national team over playing franchise cricket in India. Having played just for two seasons in the IPL, he claimed 34 wickets in 27 games at an average of 20.38.
Despite that, Gillespie thought the KKR team had got a good deal.
“I think he’s a great buy. It’s a lot of money, we all acknowledge that, but the IPL is a very rich tournament. I’m absolutely delighted for Mitch. I think it just highlights how important teams value left-arm fast bowling and left-arm swing bowling at pace,” Gillespie said.