Cricket

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins has set his sights on guiding the team to victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speaking to The Hindu, Cummins expressed his determination to finish the IPL campaign on a high note, praising the team's impressive performances."Our opener Abhishek Sharma is the most impressive I have seen. A real talent," Cummins said. He acknowledged that while early dismissals of openers Travis Head and Sharma in the PowerPlay can put pressure on the team, he emphasized the strength of the batting lineup to cover for any setbacks.Cummins, who led Australia to victory in the World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup, said there was little difference in his captaincy style between leading his country and SRH in the IPL. "The hardest thing is to know the players, motivate each one of them. Luckily, it didn't take very long and they have been pretty welcoming," he said.Reflecting on the Impact Player Rule, Cummins expressed mixed feelings. While he acknowledged its potential to add excitement, he also noted the challenges it posed for bowlers. "It is a huge challenge to be a bowler, especially in a T20 format. You have to have plans as batters come hard at you," he said.Cummins attributed Australia's success in World Cups to the confidence of the players, their brand of cricket, and their experience. "They know what it means to win big matches," he said.

Virat Kohli and Pat Cummins, two of the most celebrated cricketers of the modern era, will once again lock horns in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.The camaraderie between the two champion cricketers was evident during a joint training session, but Cummins couldn't resist a cheeky dig when asked about his favorite memory of Kohli."My favorite memory of Virat? Can I say when I get him out?," Cummins said with a smile, referring to his dismissal of Kohli for 54 in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.Despite their on-field rivalry, Cummins praised Kohli's unwavering intensity and competitive spirit."Someone who has played so much cricket, I admire him for how much he gets up for every game and gets into the contest, whether he is batting or in the field. He plays 100 days a year and he's up for every single of those games," Cummins said.Kohli, who currently leads the Orange Cap standings with 379 runs in 8 matches, will be looking to continue his impressive form against SRH. In RCB's earlier match against the Sunrisers this season, Kohli scored 42.Cummins, who also led Australia to the 2023 ODI World Cup triumph, acknowledged the competitive nature of both himself and Kohli on the field, but emphasized their relaxed demeanor off it."We are both super competitive. I think off the field Virat is pretty relaxed and I am (also) pretty relaxed off the field," said the SRH skipper.The match between SRH and RCB promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams looking to strengthen their positions in the IPL standings. Kohli and Cummins will undoubtedly be at the heart of the action, showcasing their exceptional skills and competitive spirit.

Toss Controversy in IPL 2024: Srinath's Integrity Questioned, but Video Evidence Exonerates HimIn the aftermath of an enthralling IPL 2024 clash between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a bizarre allegation surfaced on social media, casting doubt on the integrity of match referee Javagal Srinath. Several accounts accused Srinath of manipulating the toss outcome in favor of Mumbai Indians.The accusations stemmed from claims that Srinath flipped the coin's sides while picking it up, potentially altering the result. However, a more detailed video emerged, revealing that Srinath had simply forgotten the call made by RCB captain Faf du Plessis. The video caption dismissed the allegations, urging doubters to seek medical attention.Despite the clarification, another video has gained traction, showing du Plessis and SRH skipper Pat Cummins discussing coin flipping before their IPL 2024 match. While the audio is absent, netizens speculate that they were discussing the coin toss.Meanwhile, the SRH vs RCB match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium witnessed a flurry of records. SRH's total of 287/3 became the highest in IPL history, with Travis Head smashing a 39-ball century, the fourth-fastest in the tournament.RCB's bowlers struggled to contain SRH's onslaught, as the visitors feasted on a batting paradise. Despite a strong start to the chase, RCB's hopes were dashed by the dismissals of Virat Kohli and du Plessis.

Pat Cummins and Nat Sciver-Brunt have been crowned the Leading Cricketers in the World for 2024 by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Cummins, Australia's captain and fast-bowling spearhead, led his team to victories in the ICC World Test Championship and the 50-over World Cup. He also oversaw Australia's successful defense of the Ashes against England. Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, has been recognized as the pre-eminent women's cricketer, particularly for her starring role in the Women's Ashes, where she produced back-to-back ODI centuries.The thrilling nature of both the Men's and Women's Ashes is reflected in the Anglo-Aussie flavor of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year. Three Australians are named among the Five, including Ashleigh Gardner, Usman Khawaja, and Mitchell Starc. England's Harry Brook and Mark Wood also make the list.Travis Head has been awarded the Wisden Trophy for the year's best Test performance for his match-winning innings of 163 in the World Test Championship final. Hayley Matthews becomes the first female to be named the Leading Twenty20 Cricketer.Wisden's editor, Lawrence Booth, highlights the compelling nature of the Ashes battle and the impact of England's ultra-attacking "Bazball" approach. He also appeals for a reappraisal of the Spirit of Cricket and criticizes the game's administrators for undermining the competitive nature of international cricket with an inequitable split of ICC revenues.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis opted to field first in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 15. The RCB side witnessed some notable changes, with hard-hitting batter Glenn Maxwell and pacer Mohammed Siraj being benched. In their place, right-arm pacer Lockie Ferguson was included in the playing XI.SRH captain Pat Cummins, on the other hand, fielded an unchanged side. The match commenced with SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma facing the RCB bowlers. Head departed early, caught by Virat Kohli off the bowling of Harshal Patel. Sharma, however, played a steady innings, scoring 31 runs before being dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga.Aiden Markram and Nitish Reddy then took charge of the SRH innings, forming a crucial partnership of 66 runs. Markram played an aggressive knock, hitting four boundaries and two sixes in his 41-run innings. Reddy, on the other hand, provided stability, scoring 30 runs off 29 deliveries.After the dismissal of Markram and Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen and Abdul Samad provided a late surge to the SRH total. Klaasen scored a quickfire 29 off 16 balls, while Samad contributed with a 16-ball 28. SRH eventually posted a competitive total of 192/4 in their allotted 20 overs.In response, RCB's chase got off to a shaky start as they lost skipper Faf du Plessis early. Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar then steadied the innings, putting on a 54-run partnership. Kohli played a patient knock, scoring 33 runs off 30 balls, while Patidar contributed with a 29-ball 32.However, RCB's middle order failed to capitalize on the platform provided by Kohli and Patidar. Will Jacks, Saurav Chauhan, and Dinesh Karthik all departed cheaply, leaving RCB in a precarious position.In the end, it was Mahipal Lomror who played a valiant knock for RCB, scoring an unbeaten 42 off 28 balls. However, his efforts proved to be in vain as RCB fell short of the target by 12 runs, finishing on 180/6.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins, who also leads Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently engaged in a fun Q&A session with his fans on Instagram. The session revealed some of Cummins's favorites, both on and off the field.When asked about his favorite memory in India, Cummins shared a photo of the Australian team celebrating their victory in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which they won by defeating India in the final. The match was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.Cummins also revealed that his favorite SRH teammate is Travis Head, who has played crucial knocks for Australia in big matches, including the ICC World Test Championship final and the ICC Cricket World Cup final against India last year.Regarding his favorite Indian food, Cummins expressed his love for Pav Bhaji, a popular street food snack.In a humorous response to a fan's question about increasing his height, Cummins quipped, "Ask Marco," referring to South African pacer Marco Jansen, who stands at an impressive six foot nine inches tall.Cummins's SRH team is currently in fifth place in the IPL 2024 standings with three wins and two losses. They will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their next match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB, on the other hand, is struggling at the bottom of the table with only one win and five losses.SRH has impressed with their attacking cricket, particularly in batting. Cummins has also shown his leadership skills, picking up six wickets in five matches at an average of 24.33.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders Clash in IPL 2024 OpenerKolkata, March 23: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season kicked off with a thrilling encounter between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.SRH captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to exploit the early morning conditions. KKR captain Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, was confident in his team's batting lineup.The KKR openers, Venkatesh Iyer and Phil Salt, got off to a solid start, putting on 45 runs for the first wicket. However, the introduction of Marco Jansen into the attack proved to be a game-changer. The South African left-arm pacer dismissed both openers in quick succession, leaving KKR reeling at 45/2.Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana then steadied the innings with a 50-run partnership. But just when KKR seemed to be gaining momentum, Cummins struck with a double-wicket over, removing both Iyer and Rana.Andre Russell and Sunil Narine provided some late fireworks, but KKR could only manage to post a total of 165/8 in their allotted 20 overs.In response, SRH got off to a shaky start, losing Mayank Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi cheaply. However, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen steadied the ship with a 60-run partnership.Markram, in particular, played a brilliant innings, scoring 75 runs off just 50 deliveries. He was well-supported by Klaasen, who contributed 45 runs.Despite a late surge from KKR, led by Mitchell Starc's 3/30, SRH managed to chase down the target with four balls to spare.Key Details:* SRH won the toss and elected to bowl first.* KKR posted a total of 165/8 in 20 overs.* SRH chased down the target with four balls to spare.* Aiden Markram was named Player of the Match for his brilliant 75-run knock.

Ravichandran Ashwin, India's off-spinner, has expressed surprise over SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) decision to appoint Pat Cummins as captain. SRH had previously sacked Aiden Markram, who led their sister franchise, SunRisers Eastern Cape (SEC), to consecutive SA20 league titles.Ashwin stated that he was shocked by the move, especially considering Markram's success with SEC. He suggested that SRH could have benefited from Markram's experience and leadership skills."SunRisers have hit two titles back to back at the SA20. They've done it with two extraordinary teams. I was quite shocked, actually. They have made Pat Cummins the captain. I was having a small hunch that they would go with Markram. Markram had an extraordinary season for his franchise in the SA20. The cross-pollination would have been amazing," Ashwin said.While acknowledging Cummins' credentials as a world-class player, Ashwin raised concerns about the potential for a "problem of plenty" in SRH's leadership department. He suggested that the franchise could struggle to accommodate the leadership aspirations of multiple star players."Pat Cummins is a no-brainer. But with Cummins as a captain, they will have a problem of plenty in the team with so many stars. Keeping Travis Head as backup, they would go for Markram, Pat Cummins, (Heinrich) Klaasen, and (Wanindu) Hasaranga. Because Hasaranga is a crucial facet for them. If they decide Hasaranga is not needed, in some venues they can play (Fazalhaq) Farooqi or Marco Jansen instead of him. This is what I thought because it makes sense," he added.Cummins, who has never captained a team in T20 cricket, expressed his excitement about leading SRH in IPL 2024. He emphasized the importance of an aggressive start to the season and praised the team's young talent."So, a bit of planning to go and then just wanna get off to a really good start. T20s are hard. Kolkata's a good team, but I think just wanna see a really aggressive, start to the season," Cummins said.SRH will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

Pat Cummins, the World Cup-winning Australian skipper, is embarking on a new challenge as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL). While the shortest format of the game may not be physically demanding, Cummins acknowledges the mental challenges and logistical complexities involved in the two-month-long tournament.Cummins, who also led Australia to victory in the World Test Championship, is tasked with reviving the fortunes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who finished at the bottom of the table last season. "It's a format I've never captained before," Cummins said. "Tomorrow is going to be my first game. With a bit of preparation, I'm good to go."The IPL's demanding schedule, with 14 games played over six to seven weeks, poses a unique challenge for players. "It's got its challenges," Cummins explained. "You play 14 games in six-seven weeks, plus finals. I'm used to playing a lot of Test cricket, so four overs isn't as taxing on your body. But it can be mentally taxing to travel, you're playing a new team every few days you've got to prepare for."Despite the challenges, Cummins is confident in his team's abilities. "We have got loads of experienced guys excited with the lineup," he said. "Bhuvi I will be leaning on a lot. We have got a lot of experience and young guys as well."Cummins, who was the second most expensive buy at this year's IPL auction, will not only have the burden of captaincy but also the pressure to deliver with the ball. He will have Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the only other experienced bowler in the line-up, along with T Natarajan and Jaydev Unadkat."We have got loads of experienced guys excited with the lineup," Cummins said. "Bhuvi I will be leaning on a lot. We have got a lot of experience and young guys as well."Saturday's match against Kolkata Knight Riders is being billed as a clash between Cummins and Mitchell Starc, another Australian fast bowler. "Hopefully I don't have to face Starc," Cummins joked. "It's funny beauty of the IPL. These guys playing Starcy for 15 years."