According a report by The Age, an Australian Newspaper, Pat Cummins and Travis Head, two of Australia's star players, were offered $10 million (which, from AUD, translates to about 58 crore) each anually, by an unnamed IPL franchise to quit international cricket and only play overseas T20 leagues.
Both Aussies currently play for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, which also has sister franchises in South Africa's SA20 and England's The Hundred cricket leagues. In fact, Cummins even captains SRH in the Indian league.
It must be noted that the said report did not name which IPL franchise made this reported offer to these players. That said, it did state that both Pat Cummins and Travis Head refused 'politely', as they remain committed to the Australian national team.
Reported Offers Spark BBL Privatization Talks
While Cummins and Head are said to have declined the reported offer, The Age states that it has triggered talks about whether Australia's marquee T20 league, The Big Bash League, should be privatized, as it would raise salaries to make it more appealing to players.
Franchise cricket has been on the rise in recent years, with IPL leading the charge. Many international stars of the sport appear in them year-round when not busy with international duty.
For example, Travis Head plays in the IPL, BBL, and has even represented a franchise in the American Major Cricket League. At this moment, he is gearing up to face India at home in an ODI and T20I series.
Pat Cummins, on the other hand, will miss these matches due to injury. Notably, the extent of this injury might even rule him out of The Ashes, a series of five Test matches against England, which start late next month (November 2025).
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