Pat Cummins is set to make his T20 captaincy debut with SRH’s opening game in the IPL 2024 season against KKR at the Eden Gardens on Saturday (March 23).
The fast bowler was signed by SRH for a hefty sum of INR 20.50 Crore during the auction last December, making him one of the costliest purchases in IPL history.
Cummins’ success at the helm for Australia in Tests and ODIs, winning the World Test Championship (WTC) and World Cup last year, also worked in his favour as he replaced Aiden Markram as SRH captain earlier this month.
On the eve of SRH’s tournament opener, Cummins said that the shortest format is not physically demanding. However, he acknowledged the challenge posed by the extensive travel during the two-month long IPL season.
"It's a format I've never captained before. Tomorrow (Saturday) is going to be my first game. With a bit of preparation, I'm good to go," Cummins told reporters.
"It's got its challenges. You play 14 games in six-seven weeks, plus finals. I'm used to playing a lot of Test cricket, so four overs isn't as taxing on your body. But it can be mentally taxing to travel, you're playing a new team every few days you've got to prepare for," he added.
"But it's nothing new, we've done it before, so obviously the game days are the most important, that's where we put most of our energies into. No team plays the same XI all 14 games."
Having bagged the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2023, Pat Cummins will be expected to produce impressive results not just as the skipper but also as a frontline pacer along with the veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“We have got loads of experienced guys excited with the lineup. Bhuvi I will be leaning on a lot. We have got a lot of experience and young guys as well,” stated Cummins.
“It’s T20 cricket, you will be hit around, not worry about too much. So it will be up for the experienced guys to help the youngsters’ out.”
The KKR versus SRH match is being hyped as a showdown between Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Commenting on it, the Australian captain quipped, "Hopefully, I won't have to face Starc. It's the amusing beauty of the IPL – these guys have been facing Starc for 15 years."
"I can't remember when I played against him. It will be an interesting part of tomorrow. We are both bowlers so there won't crossover too much," he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
