SRH's IPL Final Hopes Dented by KKR Defeat, Cummins Remains Optimistic

Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) hopes of reaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) final suffered a setback after their eight-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Qualifier 1. Despite the disappointing result, captain Pat Cummins remained optimistic, acknowledging that his team had earned the right to bounce back.

SRH's batting woes began early as Mitchell Starc's pace proved too much to handle in the powerplay. The Hyderabad-based franchise was eventually dismissed for a below-par 159 in 19.3 overs. In contrast, KKR's openers, Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer, played scintillating knocks to chase down the target in just 13.4 overs.

Cummins admitted that SRH's performance was below par, but he emphasized that such setbacks are part and parcel of T20 cricket. "We have earned the right to have one of those days and still win tournaments," he said. "Not our day, but good thing we have another crack at it."

The decision to bring in Sanvir Singh as SRH's Impact Player also raised eyebrows. However, Cummins explained that the move was made to bolster the team's batting at the expense of an extra bowling option.

Despite the setback, SRH still have a chance to reach the final. They will face the winner of the Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday. Cummins expressed confidence that his team can bounce back and secure a berth in the title clash.

"Going to a new venue helps as well. It is going to be a bit different feel to here, so you start again," he said. "We have got a good body of work behind us this season to look back on, so we erase this one and move on."

Tags: #IPL2022, #SRH, #KKR, #Qualifier1, #PatCummins