Happy Birthday Pat Cummins: SRH Skipper’s Top 5 Performances in IPL
Australia skipper Pat Cummins celebrates his 31st birthday today, May 8. Earmarked as a budding superstar, expectations were quite high for the Aussie pacer at a very young age. He burst onto the scene with a sensational Test debut in 2011 where he scalped seven wickets against South Africa.
Since then, Cummins has won the ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup and the World Test Championship. He has won two of these titles as the team’s skipper.
Pat Cummins (c) of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Abdul Samad of Sunrisers Hyderabad celebrates a wicket of Rajasthan Royals during the IPL 2024 match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on the 2nd May 2024. (Image: Sportzpics)
Apart from a successful career at the international level, Cummins has had an impressive outing so far in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Newly-appointed skipper of , is eager for his team to make a bold start in the upcoming IPL season, aiming to gain early momentum in the tournament.
Acquired for Rs 20.50 crore during last year’s player auction by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Cummins has taken over the captaincy of the IPL franchise from South African Aiden Markram.
Let’s take a look at some of his top performances in the T20 tournament.
56 not out vs Mumbai Indians, 2022
Pat Cummins was unstoppable at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on April 06, 2022. During Kolkata Knight Riders’ run chase of 161, Cummins hit a 15-ball 56 against the five-time IPL champions. His knock included four boundaries and six maximums. The Aussie pacer’s heroics were enough to seal a dominant five-wicket win for KKR with four overs to spare. His lightning-fast half-century previously held the record for the fastest fifty in the tournament. It was broken a year later by Yashasvi Jaiswal.
66 not out vs Chennai Super Kings, 2021
In a valiant effort to win against Chennai Super Kings, Pat Cummins put on a show at the Wankhede Stadium in 2021. Following the first innings, the Kolkata Knight Riders were tasked with a mammoth 220-run total. In the next half, the two-time champions lost five wickets within the first six overs. An unfazed Cummins, however, came on the pitch to smash 66 runs facing 34 balls. Despite his powerful knock, KRR ended up losing the match by 18 runs.
53 not out vs Mumbai Indians, 2023
Nearly four years ago, Pat Cummins produced a memorable knock against the Mumbai Indians. Playing in Abu Dhabi, he smashed 53 runs in just 36 balls to recover Kolkata Knight Riders’ innings in the game. His five boundaries and two sixes in the game enabled the two-time champions to put up 148 runs. Despite the stunning batting performance, KKR lost the match by eight wickets.
4/34 vs Rajasthan Royals, 2020
Pat Cummins showcased his supreme bowling prowess against the Rajasthan Royals in 2020 while donning a Kolkata Knight Riders jersey. Defending a total of 191 runs, Cummins scalped the wickets of Robin Uthappa, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith and Riyan Parag. His heroics sealed a 60-run victory for KKR while earning him the Player of the Match award.
4/22 vs Mumbai Indians, 2022
Playing against the Mumbai Indians in 2022, Pat Cummins put up some impressive figures against the five-time champions. The Australia pacer was in top form in that game as he scalped the wickets of Ishan Kishan, Daniel Sams and Murugan Ashwin. His performance enabled Kolkata Knight Riders to bag a 52-run win.