NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder
Irfan Pathan
has lauded Sunrisers Hyderabad's bold move in securing the services of
Pat Cummins
for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Pathan emphasised the significant momentum Cummins has garnered from his recent international performances.
While acknowledging Cummins' past IPL statistics, Pathan expressed optimism about the Australian fast bowler's potential to make a substantial impact and lead Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to success in the tournament.
SRH made headlines by appointing Cummins as the captain of the team for the 2024 IPL season, following his acquisition for a staggering Rs 20.5 crore in the auction.
Cummins' stellar performances in 2023 further solidified his leadership credentials. Notably, he played a pivotal role in Australia's triumphs, including winning the World Test Championship (WTC), retaining the Ashes in England, and securing a record sixth Men's ODI World Cup as captain.
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This IPL season marks Cummins' debut as a captain in the tournament. Additionally, it reunites him with Daniel Vettori, the newly appointed head coach of SRH, who also serves as an assistant coach for the Australian team. The combination of Cummins' exceptional skills and Vettori's coaching expertise sets the stage for an exciting season ahead for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“Sunrisers Hyderabad taking a punt on Pat Cummins' momentum which is especially good for him from the last two seasons be it ICC 50 overs World Cup and WTC final and the way he is performing at an international level,” said Irfan Pathan on Star Sports' show “Game Plan”.
“My doubt is only there as his IPL numbers are not that great eight-and-a-half economy in the IPL which is quite high for a premier quality fast bowler, hopefully, that can change in one season, so Sunrisers Hyderabad will be hoping he will able to come and lead the side to the victory which they haven’t got it from some time now but I certainly think that T20 cricket is a different form of game compare to 50 overs and Test cricket,” he added.
SRH faced challenges in the previous two IPL seasons under the captaincy of
Aiden Markram
, failing to achieve significant success. Their performance hit a low point in IPL 2023 as they finished at the bottom of the points table, managing just four wins from 14 matches.
However, despite Markram's struggles with SRH, he found success as the captain of SunRisers Eastern Cape, a sister team of the SRH franchise, in the SA20 league. Markram led SunRisers Eastern Cape to victory in the first two seasons of the SA20, showcasing his leadership abilities and contributing to the team's success in the South African league.
Another Indian cricketer
Varun Aaron
praised Rajasthan Royals for their solid and well-balanced team composition. He particularly singled out Riyan Parag as a player to watch, emphasising the investment made in him by the franchise. Aaron expressed high hopes for Parag's performance, citing his explosive hitting ability and potential to dominate the tournament.
Parag was the highest scorer in the Deodhar Trophy, hammered the most sixes (23, ten more than the next best — Kerala’s Rohan Kunnummal) and also finished joint-third highest wicket-taker. He also made a world record of scoring seven consecutive fifties in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“I think they are one of the most solid and really well-balanced teams in the IPL, my take would be this IPL should be the coming of age of Riyan Parag because they really invested a lot in him. He has given them returns on and off but the kind of form he was in domestic cricket is something which I am really looking out for because the power he has and the hitting ability he possesses is almost second to none in Indian cricket. I would love to see him really come of age, go bonkers and just take bowlers apart,” said Aaron.
Former Australia cricketer
Aaron Finch
, offering insights into Mumbai Indians' strategy, highlighted the benefit of Rohit Sharma relinquishing his captaincy role and focusing solely on batting. Finch believes this shift will relieve the pressure on Sharma, allowing him to excel in his primary role as an opening batsman.
“I think for Rohit, the challenge would be just walking out and opening the batting as he did so many times for India and Mumbai over the years. This might be a wipe-off for his shoulders. When you are captaining a team constantly everywhere you go you are captain of the team you can get engrossed a lot in that, so now having a freedom to walk out and bat will be beneficial for him personally and Mumbai Indians,” said Finch.
(With IANS inputs)
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