IPL Auction 2020 | Pat Cummins inflated price dictated by demand, admits Sourav Ganguly

Pat Cummins, on Thursday, made history by becoming the highest-paid overseas player in the history of IPL Auctions when he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs.15.5 crore. The Australian ignited a bidding war between the Knight Riders and the Delhi Capitals, for whom he played in 2017. 

“It has a lot to do with the demand. Especially these small auctions bringing players in go after go. Ben Stokes became a part of this small auction and that’s why his value went through the roof (₹14.50 crore),” he said, reported Times of India.

Cummins, during his time at the Feroz Shah Kotla, picked up 15 wickets, including his personal-best figures of 2/20. In particular, his ability to stem the run flow both in the powerplay and the death overs made him a significant asset for the franchises. Capitals tried their level best to retain the player at the Kotla but with the Knight Riders having greater leverage on money, they became the front-runners for the Australian. 

However, last season, the pacer was ruled out of the cash-rich tournament, after having been bought by the Mumbai Indians for 5.4 crore, owing to an injury that he picked up during national duty.

“[Knight Riders] on this hard, green pitch at Eden where there’s pace and bounce for the fast bowlers [needed Cummins]. I think there was a competition between Delhi Capitals and [Knight Riders] till the last, and Delhi Capitals gave up after a certain point. So, I think it’s about supply and demand all the time,” he concluded.