IPL auction 2020: 3 reasons why KKR paid such a huge amount for Pat Cummins

The much-anticipated IPL auction 2020, which was held at Kolkata, is behind us now. All in all, 62 players (29 of them overseas players) were sold at the event, which delivered plenty of entertainment and surprises.

There were several bidding wars between franchises that broke their banks in order to secure players' services.

At the end of the day, while Glenn Maxwell and Chris Morris received princely sums, Pat Cummins was the costliest player of the day. Cummins was expected to be on the radar of quite a few franchises, but it still came as a surprise when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for an record Rs 15.5 crore.

Here, we look at three reasons why Cummins became the costliest overseas player in IPL history.

#1 KKR needed a quality fast bowler and Cummins was their answer

Cummins bowling vs India

When Kolkata Knight Riders released their squad of retained players in mid-November, there was a clear void in their fast bowling stocks. The team did not have a quality fast bowler in their ranks that could open the bowling with Lockie Ferguson in IPL 2020.

Fast forward to the IPL 2020 auction on 19 December, and KKR were clearly looking to plug the gap. They decided to break the bank in set two and, after a fierce bidding war that pitted KKR, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore against each other, managed to secure Cummins’ services.

KKR coach Brendon McCullum hailed Cummins as “the best player at the auction” and said it was a major reason why they bought him. It is indeed very difficult to suggest otherwise.

Cummins, the No. 1 ranked Test bowler and No. 4 ranked ODI bowler, has taken the most international wickets in 2019 (94). He has produced several world-class performances over the past few years, such as match-figures of 8-119 against England in January 2018, 14 wickets in the World Cup 2019 and 29 wickets at an average of 19.62 in the recent Ashes series.

Apart from that, Cummins has transformed himself from the injury-prone bowler of 2011-2017 to the injury-free, tough and consistent bowler of 2019. He is also more mature and experienced. McCullum alluded to this at the post-auction press conference when he said:

“I think what we’ve seen is the development of a cricketer. In the last couple of years he’s grown into his body; and he’s become very robust in terms of injuries. He is now the vice-captain of the Australia cricket team and that’s a mark of his development in the last couple of years."

#2 Cummins’ superb T20I record and his outstanding form

India v Australia - T20I: Game 1

In an era of flat pitches and big-hitting batsmen, Cummins is part of a select group of bowlers who are still thriving. Cummins’ overall T20I record makes for excellent reading; so far the Australian has captured 32 wickets in 25 matches at an average of 20.12.

Another reason why Kolkata Knight Riders bought Cummins is his outstanding form. His sensational run started at the World Cup in June 2019, where he took 14 wickets during Australia’s run to the semi-finals.

Cummins enjoyed a brilliant Ashes series in August and then transferred his form to the shortest format of the game.

He finished as the top wicket-taker (with six) in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in October. The fast bowler troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen with his short-pitched bowling and express pace.

Cummins then played in the subsequent T20I series against Pakistan. He delivered a stellar performance in the second match (1-19 from four overs), and his bowling helped restrict Pakistan to a below-par total.

KKR will hope that Cummins can carry his red-hot form into IPL 2020.

#3 Cummins is equally adept with the new and old ball

Pat Cummins during the Ashes series

Cummins is a bowler who adapts very well to different conditions and challenges, and is equally adept with the new or the old ball in hand. In fact, when one compares his Test averages with both balls, there isn't a big difference (3.81).

Let us start with his exploits with the new ball. Cummins has delivered a few brilliant spells for Australia, and a good example is the match against Sri Lanka in January 2019 (at Brisbane).

In the second innings of the match, Cummins pulverized the Sri Lankan batsmen with his extra bounce and nagging line. The paceman snared the first four wickets, and six in total, as Sri Lanka crashed to 139 all out.

With the bright-red leather in hand, he can generate steep bounce that hits the splice of the bat as well as deviate the ball just enough to find the outside-edge. This combination makes him a dangerous new-ball bowler.

With the older ball, he is extremely accurate and rarely bowls a bad ball. He has developed a reliable yorker and also a few slower deliveries, which can stop the run flow at the death.

KKR can definitely bank on Cummins to be their go-to man in IPL 2020.