Pat Cummins delivered an impressive performance, claiming three wickets as Sunrisers Hyderabad secured a victory over Chennai Super Kings, thus earning a place in the IPL playoffs.
Cummins recorded figures of 3-28, helping to restrict Chennai to a total of 180 runs for seven wickets, before guiding his team to victory by successfully chasing down the target with five wickets remaining.
With this win, Sunrisers Hyderabad joins Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans in the IPL playoffs, which are set to commence on May 27.
As captain, Cummins played a pivotal role in leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to the playoffs during their match against Chennai Super Kings. He consistently took the initiative to bowl whenever his team required a breakthrough, and his efforts proved effective in limiting the opposition’s score.
Despite Travis Head’s struggles with the bat, Hyderabad executed a well-calibrated run chase, ultimately winning by five wickets with one over to spare. Ishan Kishan was a standout performer, scoring 70 runs off 47 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen contributed 47 off 26 balls, with the duo adding 75 runs in just seven overs.
“It’s really satisfying,” Cummins commented. “It was a challenging pitch to bat on, and I was thrilled with the way ‘Klassy’ [Klaasen] and Ishan approached the chase. They made smart choices and played some incredible shots.” He also remarked, “The real competition starts now.”
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by Josh Hazlewood, had already secured their spot in the playoffs, and Sunrisers’ triumph ensures that the Gujarat Titans have also advanced.
Currently, five teams are vying for the final playoff position, although both Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, featuring Mitch Starc, require a series of unlikely outcomes to qualify. Ricky Ponting’s Punjab Kings hold the fourth position but have suffered five consecutive losses. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals, despite having a match in hand, are also struggling, as are Cam Green’s Kolkata Knight Riders, who remain in contention.
In Monday’s match at Chepauk, after being invited to bowl, Cummins initially faced off against Nitesh Kumar Reddy and Praful Hinge, but after two overs, CSK found themselves at 30 runs without loss, with Sanju Samson scoring 27 off just 11 balls. Cummins quickly shifted the momentum by dismissing Samson, who was caught behind without adding to his score, just three balls later.
New batsman Urvil Patel finished the over with two consecutive sixes, prompting Cummins to temporarily remove himself from the attack. However, as the innings progressed and CSK reached 89 runs for two wickets, Cummins returned to bowl the tenth over. Once again, he delivered, taking the wicket of Kartik Sharma without allowing him to score.
Cummins continued to apply pressure, dismissing CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who struggled with his scoring, managing only 15 runs off 21 balls. Although Cummins held back his final over, he felt it necessary to bowl it after Dewald Brevis settled in at 132 runs for four wickets. Brevis hit Cummins for a six and a four in the first two deliveries, but the bowler tightened up for the remainder of the over, leaving Brevis unbeaten on 44 runs from 27 balls as CSK finished at 180 for seven.
CSK began their bowling innings strongly, with Spencer Johnson’s first over conceding just five runs. However, Head, unable to find his rhythm, attempted a risky shot and was caught off a skier by Mukesh Choudary after scoring just six runs. When Johnson caught Abhishek Sharma for 26 runs, CSK appeared to have the upper hand, but at 75 runs for two wickets, they missed a crucial catch of Klaasen, which proved costly as he capitalized on the opportunity.
After a decade since their sole IPL championship, the Sunrisers Hyderabad now have another opportunity to pursue glory.
