Pat Cummins the skipper of the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) was unable to resist the temptation of observing the aweinspiring highlights of the legendary cricketer MS Dhoni on television during the prefinal press conference of IPL 2024. It was akin to witnessing a maestro at work. The impending clash in Chennai on May 26th will witness Cummins side challenging the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Taking the reins at SRH just before the commencement of the 2024 IPL season Pat Cummins orchestrated a magnificent shift in the teams fortunes. Following a dismal finish at the bottom last year SRH impressively rose to claim the second position on the points table this season.
They were thrashed by KKR in Qualifier 1, but rebounded with a thumping victory against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 to progress to the final.
Speaking to the press on the eve of the big final tomorrow, Pat Cummins was continuously staring at the screen in the room, which was playing Dhoni’s highlights from this year.
This is seen in the following video:
During his remarkable 17th IPL season MS Dhoni showcased his prowess as a finisher tallying an impressive 161 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 220.54 in only 14 games.
Despite their commendable achievements the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) faced playoff elimination following their title triumph last season.
“Hopefully one more left” – Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins anticipated his team would have one more win after defeating RR by 36 runs in Qualifier 2 to go to the final.
The Australian bowler was the second-highest acquisition in IPL history, costing ₹20.50 crore during the IPL 2024 auction. Cummins was later named SRH’s captain, succeeding Aiden Markram.
After SRH secured a place in the top clash, Cummins stated at the post-match presentation:
“The boys have been fantastic all season. There’s a great vibe in the squad as you can see and the final was the goal at the start of the season and we made it. We knew our strength was our batting and we wouldn’t underestimate the experience we have in this squad, it’s a dream having Bhuvi, Nattu and Unadkat, makes my job easy. It is for the whole franchise, probably 60 or 70 of them who put their heart and soul into this and hopefully one more left.”
Pat Cummins
Apart from his great captaincy, Cummins has bowled at various times of the innings, taking 17 wickets so far this season.
If SRH wins against KKR in the final, it will be another feather in Cummins’ crown after leading Australia to World Test Championship and ODI World Cup victories last year.