Aussies to go under IPL hammer on Monday

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson are among the 30 Australians hoping to be picked up in the Indian Premier League auction.

Pat Cummins of Australia

A fit-again Pat Cummins headlines the 30 Australians hoping to strike it rich at the IPL auction. (AAP)

A fit-again Pat Cummins headlines the 30 Australians hoping to strike it rich in Monday's Indian Premier League auction.

Cummins is expected to attract plenty of interest in the bidding frenzy that will unfold from 3pm AEDT at the ostentatious Ritz-Carlton hotel in Bangalore.

Cummins and fellow quick Mitchell Johnson have listed themselves at a reserve price of approximately $A390,000, joining Englishmen Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Eoin Morgan, Indian paceman Ishant Sharma and Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews in the highest band.

Cummins attracted worldwide attention with a sparkling Test debut at age 18, taking six wickets in the second innings and hitting the winning runs in a two-wicket victory at Johannesburg.

Since that dizzying high in 2011, Cummins has endured a series of serious injuries.

But the 23-year-old has been on the park throughout the summer of 2016-17, playing the past 10 ODIs for Australia.

The setbacks have given Cummins plenty of time to work on his batting. He showed as much in the Big Bash League, striking the ball cleanly to finish with 134 runs at 33.50.

It's part of the reason the Sydney Thunder star is expected to command a much higher price than the $207,000 he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for in 2014.

Rising Pune Supergiants coach Stephen Fleming, who also mentors Melbourne Stars, is among the key figures in the IPL that kept a close eye on the BBL.

Sydney Sixers pair Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon are both available at a reserve of approximately $292,000, while 36-year-old Michael Klinger will hope to add buck to the bang he delivered on Twenty20 international debut last Friday.

Klinger and 46-year-old tweaker Brad Hogg are available from $97,000. The bidding will start at $58,000 for most Australians on the list - including legspinner Michell Swepson, a shock selection in Australia's Test squad for India, and former Test opener Joe Burns.

Ben McDermott, who smashed a BBL century for Hobart, could be a bargain buy at under $20,000.

The IPL falls in Australian players' official leave period. Josh Hazlewood is resisting the riches on offer for a third straight year.

The timing of the auction won't be a distraction for Swepson and Lyon - they will go under the hammer while in transit from Mumbai to Pune. Cummins, Klinger, Billy Stanlake, Ashton Turner are the members of the current T20 squad with a keen interest in proceedings.


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Source: AAP



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