Steve Smith and David Warner are set to become the highest-paid Australians in the history of the Indian Premier League, after they were both snapped up for more than $A2 million.
Australia's two batting dynamos dominated the IPL last season, with Warner topping the run-scorers list with 641 at 58.27 while Smith was fourth with 472 runs to his name.
And the pair were rewarded in kind on a big night of IPL movements for Australians on Thursday.
Warner was retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Smith will play with the returning Rajasthan Royals, both for $A2.4 million.
Smith's contract means he will move from the Rising Pune Supergiants, who replaced the suspended Royals for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
It also comes a day after former Australian captain Michael Clarke warned that the world's best batsman would need to monitor his workload in coming years.
The deals overtake the $A2.01 million contract Shane Warne inked with the Royals in 2011, and is well above the $A1.07 million the pair were both listed as being signed on last year.
Former Australian star Ricky Ponting also made his move in the IPL this week, with the Delhi Daredevils confirming him as coach for the 2018 season.
Ponting, who has been in talks over playing a role in the Australian national T20 set up, replaced South African Paddy Upton at the franchise after the former Aussie skipper last coached the Mumbai Indians to a title in 2015.
Ponting is keep to work with the Australian side, but must manage a schedule that also includes media commitments.
Meanwhile Warner and Smith are unlikely to be the only Australians set to profit big from this year's tournament.
A new broadcast deal worth $A3.2 billion has caused the salary cap to rise by 20 per cent to $A16.28 million this year - more than the player spend for all eight Big Bash League clubs combined.
Mitchell Starc has already indicated he will nominate for the January 27 and 28 auction in Bangalore, while a more open schedule means the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell could all benefit.
In a sign of things to come, Indian captain Virat Kohli signed the most lucrative deal in the history of the IPL, retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for $A3.4 million on Thursday - eclipsing Yuvraj Singh's $A3.2 million in 2015.
One Australian who won't be there is Mitchell Marsh.
He has already confirmed he won't play in the competition in 2018, after signing with English county club Surrey in the hope of readying himself for next year's Ashes.
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