As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season reaches its final match, all eyes are on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Pat Cummins. With his team set to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final today in Chennai, the fast bowler finds himself at the peak of a remarkable achievement.
When Cummins was appointed as SRH captain ahead of the season many fans and experts raised eyebrows at the decision, given his lack of experience in leading T20 sides. However, the 31-year-old has brilliantly guided his team to an impressive second-place finish in the league stage. His leadership has been a driving force behind Orange Army's revival for the title race, as they aim to lift their second IPL trophy.
After defeating India in the World Test Championship 2023 and then winning the ODI World Cup in November against the same opponent, Cummins will be making his third attempt at a trophy in less than a year. He recently revealed his initial uncertainties about the captaincy role.
"I mean that would be great. I think the run [of winning trophies] has got to stop at some point yeah, it has been a great couple of years but I hadn't captained any T20 cricket before this series. So, I wasn't too sure what to expect. The T20 game is quite fast-paced, but I think drawing on particularly ODI captaincy over here [in India] last year, it didn't feel too foreign to me," Cummins said as quoted by Cricbuzz.
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We were pretty strong with how we wanted to play: Pat Cummins
Under his guidance, the Hyderabad-based franchise adopted an aggressive batting approach, with openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head setting the tone with their solid starts. The duo's explosive performances, including multiple partnerships in the powerplay, have been a major talking point of SRH's campaign.
"We were pretty strong with how we wanted to play, super-aggressive, and in a 14-game season, you're not going to win every single game but we think if we play that way, you're going to win most of them. That's kind of how it played out there are little bumps that come along the way but that's okay but you try and make sure it stays on course," he added.
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Moreover, Cummins has also played a huge role in nurturing the talents of young players like Abhishek and Nitish Reddy, who have emerged as breakout stars for the franchise.
"Nitish and Abhishek are probably the two biggest examples. [These are] guys away from the Indian set-up, but have been fantastic. That has been the story of our season, those guys have taken the game on and put themselves out there and are having breakout seasons," he concluded.
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