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Pat Cummins has landed the richest contract in Cricket Australia history, penning a new deal worth AUD 4 million per annum (around Rs 27.2 crore per year).

As per reports by The Sydney Morning Herald, Cricket Australia have extended Cummins' contract by three years until 2029 and worth AUD 12 million (almost Rs 82 crore). The decision is a clear statement following concerns about significant money from global T20 franchise leagues being offered to elite Australian cricketers.

There were reports last year of an IPL-linked franchise group attempting to lure Cummins and his team-mate Travis Head away from the national team, making a jaw-dropping offer of AUD 10 million (around Rs 68 crore) for their permanent services in franchise cricket.

Both players were believed to have rejected the offer, but it served as a significant wake-up call for Cricket Australia regarding the retention of their marquee players in an era where they could receive higher contracts from franchises.

Before this deal, Cummins was already one of the highest-paid cricketers in the country, earning approximately AUD 2.5 million to AUD 3 million annually from the national governing body, including captaincy payments. The new deal is a massive increase on this amount and is said to break the traditional boundaries of a Cricket Australia central contract.

• Previous Retainer: AUD 2.5 Million / Rs 17 Crore
• New Retainer: AUD 4 Million / Rs 27.2 Crore
• Total Three-Year Deal: AUD 12 Million / Rs 82 Crore

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The 30-year-old is currently the captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Indian Premier League 2026 and will be earning Rs 20.5 crore from the franchise for a season.

This new Cricket Australia contract would mean he would be earning more money from Cricket Australia than he would for the IPL season. This is very unique for modern cricket, as franchise cricket nowadays tends to reward players more than cricket boards.

The contract has also come at the time when Australia are in their busiest schedule till now as they will play 21 Test matches in the span of the next 12 months and Cricket Australia want to retain their main players for the International matches.

Head of cricket James Allsopp of Cricket Australia also confirmed that talks with Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head about long-term contracts are still ongoing.

This record contract for Cummins is proof that Australia is willing to spend a lot in order to retain the cream of Australian cricket from drifting to franchise cricket and to save the Baggy Green.