australian captain Pat Cummins silenced his critics Some have long suspected that he was the captain who led Hyderabad Sunrisers to the IPL play-offs after the match was canceled due to rain. Cummins opted out of last year's tournament citing a busy international schedule and participated in the IPL draft.
Meanwhile, Cummins won the ICC Champions Trophy and left the Ashes in England to win the One Day International World Cup. He did all this as the captain of his country. During this time, Cummins came under a lot of scrutiny for his style as captain. Quick was often referred to as a defensive captain and was under pressure, especially during the Ashes.
Australia also started off on a bad note with three consecutive ODI losses. However, as a result of consecutive wins, they defeated the host country India in the final. And now, Cummins has helped lead the Sunrisers to the IPL playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Travis Head and Cummins needed to beat the Titans on Thursday. After the washout, the Australian duo was able to make it to the playoffs with the team, even though they did not have to throw a ball. Cummins was acquired in the IPL draft for $3.67 million, a price many felt was a gamble.
Only fellow Australian Mitchell Starc has won more prize money in the IPL so far. And Cummins lived up to his price tag, taking 14 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 9.25. His economy is huge when you look at some of the record-breaking scores seen in the 2024 tournament.
Cummins continues to captivate the cricket world year after year with his captaincy and ability. And he once again showed why he was awarded the International Cricketer of the Year award after an outstanding year in the game.
– Won WTC [first attempt]
– Won the WC [first attempt]
– Qualify for playoffs in IPL [first attempt]Pat Cummins is building a legacy as a leader as a central figure in modern-day leadership. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/98Ew3l8kAG
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 16, 2024
Captain Pat Cummins' first attempt:
WTC – Winner.
World Cup – Winner.
IPL – Playoffs are decided.– A monumental last 12 months for the Sydney gunman. 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/tHZeWNgTU0
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 16, 2024
Pat Cummins hits back at critics again
rear Epic price tag for Cummins, former Australian bowler Jason Gillespie He questioned whether Cummins was worth paying such a huge fee. “Pat is obviously a quality bowler and a quality leader. We've seen that… I don't think T20 is his best format,” Gillespie told SEN radio last year. “Personally, I think he is a Test bowler and I think Test cricket is his absolute bread and butter.
“He's a good T20 bowler, no doubt about it, but that's a big over for me.” Cummins' performance in the IPL before this tournament perhaps confirmed Gillespie's concerns. The Australian captain picked just seven wickets in five matches for Kolkata in the last season of the competition in 2022, but did not feature in the 2023 tournament. However, Sunrisers fans will be set to hit back at this criticism after the Australians qualified for IPL play-off cricket for the first time in four years.
Mitchell Starc moves on after rollercoaster campaign
While Cummins has made a successful return to the IPL, Starc is under pressure over his own performance. Kolkata Knights Riders acquired Starc for a record sum. The Australian quick is perhaps the best white ball bowler on the international stage in recent years.
However, the Australian endured a lot of backlash after he leaked runs without taking many wickets in the first half of the season. This is despite his team sitting at the top of the standings. However, Starc has started to show results towards the end of the tournament, taking five wickets for just 66 runs in the last three matches.
This was highlighted by a brutal 4-33 loss in three consecutive games against the Mumbai Indians. The Knight Riders faced the Mumbai Indians again, but Starc bowled only one innings and finished with 0 wins and 11 losses. Either way, Stark and the Knight Riders qualified for the playoffs in first place with one game to spare.