The franchise reportedly offered both players $10 million (approximately ₹58.2 crore) per year to quit Australian cricket and make themselves fully available for global T20 leagues where the franchise operates.
Had they accepted, Cummins and Head would’ve earned nearly seven times more than their current annual earnings from Cricket Australia about ₹8.74 crore each, as per The Age.
However, both players rejected the deal, choosing to remain committed to representing their country.
The duo are vital parts of the Sunrisers Hyderabad setup in the IPL. The Sunrisers group also has ownership stakes in The Hundred’s Northern Superchargers and SA20’s Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
For IPL 2025, Cummins, Australia’s Test and ODI captain, was retained by SRH for ₹18 crore, while Head extended his stint with the franchise on a ₹14 crore contract.
By declining the lucrative offer, the pair went against the growing global trend of players prioritizing franchise leagues over national duty.
In contrast, stars like Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, and Heinrich Klaasen have embraced the freelance route, stepping away from international commitments to focus on T20 leagues worldwide.
