NEW DELHI, April 26 : No total looks safe in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) but Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins is far from intimidated, and sees it rather as a challenge for bowlers like him.
Flat tracks, short boundaries and the league’s Impact Player rule, which allows chasing teams to draft in an extra batter replacing a bowler, have all contributed to teams routinely pulling off 200-plus targets.
On Saturday, the Delhi Capitals racked up 264-2, briefly the highest total this season, and yet Punjab Kings chased down the record target with seven balls to spare.
In the second match of the double-header, a Cummins-led Hyderabad accomplished a 229-run chase with nine balls to go.
“It’s fine, it’s a good challenge,” Cummins, playing his first match of the IPL season after recovering from a lumbar bone stress injury, told reporters.
“You know, you can have a bad couple overs, but you feel like if you come back and bowl a really good death over, then yeah, that can be match-winning.”Â
“I actually think in some ways, it takes the pressure off us bowlers, knowing that our batting lineup can chase whatever (target)…”
“One wicket, one really good over, can actually be as important as a good spell would be in a lower-scoring game.”
Rajasthan’s 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (103) once again lit up the stadium with a 36-ball hundred – hitting the first ball he faced from Cummins for a six.
“I think he’s my new favourite player,” a smiling Cummins said of the teenaged opener.
“He’s hits the ball so hard. It’s great to watch, it’s good fun. You got to be right on the money as a bowler.”
“He’s had a great start to his career and I love the way he plays. It takes the game on.”
Despite the soaring totals this season, Cummins said their team approach had not really changed.
“We set up our team, obviously, to try and go big on our batting, and as bowler, it’s up to us to try and minimise the runs.”
“The scores look a little bit different to maybe a few years ago, but the concept still the same.”
Hyderabad climbed to third place in the points table – behind leaders Punjab Kings and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
