Pat Cummins will experience something new on Saturday, March 23, in his nearly 13-year career at the highest level. Cummins will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad against the Kolkata Knight Riders in their debut IPL 2024 match as captain of any T20 team. Following a successful 2023 in which he guided Australia to the 50-over World Cup championship and the World Test Championship, Cummins was the beneficiary of a winning bid of INR 20.50 crores at the most recent auction.
Because of their heritage, the Sunrisers were compelled to spend big money on the Australian lucky charm after finishing second in the previous two IPL seasons. But Cummins has a more difficult assignment ahead of him, and it’s not simply because he hasn’t led T20 teams before. On the eve of the match at Eden Gardens, Cummins stated, “It has its challenges.” “You play 14 games in six-seven weeks, including the finals, in that. Four overs isn’t as stressful on your body; I play a lot of Test cricket. But the trip, which is obviously in a foreign nation, and having to prepare for a new squad every few days may be emotionally exhausting.
“However, we’ve done this before, so it’s nothing new. Of course, the biggest day is the game. We spend most of our days doing it. For all 14 games, no team fields the same starting lineup. We’ll need to mobilize our team, and we’re fortunate to have a youthful, physically fit team. I believe it’s a given of the Indian Premier League that there are high expectations and a large number of fans who want to see results from the club. Yes, there is undoubtedly a little bit more [responsibility] involved in being captain. However, as players, it’s not all that different from what we’re used to. We’ll put our all into it.
Travis Head, a major player in the final of each of those two title victories, will be Cummins’ teammate on the SRH squad. However, it will need some effort to manage the remaining ones, including their roles and responsibilities in this structure. “The main distinction is that, as an Australian player, you have a close bond with your teammates. Having played with Joshie Hazlewood and Starc for fifteen years, there are many things that are obvious and don’t need to be addressed. As a result, there is a genuine sense of trust and little need for communication—everything sort of works itself out,” Cummins stated.
“I believe that the main difference going forward will be getting to know some new players and their various responsibilities on the club. Naturally, I know a couple of the other guys, and in an effort to bring out the best in them, I’ve done some homework. However, that will most likely be the most significant distinction.
Mitchell Starc, who is playing in his first IPL match in nine years, will also be a familiar face in the opposition camp on Saturday. In actuality, KKR signed Starc for an IPL record INR 24.75 crores. It would be strange, Cummins acknowledged, to watch his fast bowling companion in the “other dugout.”
“It’s funny—it’s one of the best things about the Indian Premier League—that after 15 years of playing with Starcy, I can’t recall ever playing against him. It will also be strange to see him in the other dugout when glancing over.
Indeed, it will be interesting to watch how we approach playing the opponent captain tomorrow. However, because we are both bowlers, I doubt that our paths will meet very often.”
