The crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium during the IPL 2024 clash against the Lucknow Super Giants was quite vibrant on Wednesday, given it was SunRisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins' birthday. As a result, the crowd at the venue collectively sang 'happy birthday' to the right-arm speedster, who turned 31, as a video of the same emerged on social media amid the match on Wednesday.
Cummins, who fetched ₹20.25 crore from the SunRisers in the auction and replaced Aiden Markram as captain, has turned the fortunes around for the Orange Army. With aggressive openers right from the outset, the 2016 IPL champions have made multiple scores of over 250, including the highest-ever of 287 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head leathered the Lucknow Super Giants' bowling attack in pursuit of 166. The pair of left-handers needed only 9.4 overs to gun it down and had all their 10 wickets intact.
"Really difficult for the bowlers against them" - Pat Cummins
Cummins, who took a solitary wicket, sarcastically commented at the post-match presentation that Head and Abhishek changed the pitch, given how it looked two-paced in the first innings. The 31-year-old claimed:
"(On did he change the pitch) Maybe Travis and Abhishek did. We just let them go, they are two guys who are very positive and I'm a bowler, it is tough for me to give them any inputs. (On Travis Head) He's been like this for 2 years, he hits the tough areas, hits the middle a lot, might not be super conventional. (On Abhishek Sharma) Just an incredible player of spin and pace. With just 2 fielders out, it is really difficult for the bowlers against them."
The net run-rate boost has massively strengthend SRH's playoff chances.
