Despite his best efforts, Australia captain Pat Cummins has been unable to transform the dimming fortunes of his cellar-dwelling Sunrisers Hyderabad team as they slumped to a fourth-straight defeat in the IPL.
Last year’s finalists, who had again begun the 2025 campaign in typically up-and-at-’em fashion under Cummins’ liberating leadership, seem to have quite lost their mojo as they crashed to a conclusive seven-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
Cummins had appeared determined to arrest their slump in familiar ‘Captain Fantastic’ guise with both bat and ball as, first, he clocked an unbeaten 22 off just nine balls at the end of an another underwhelming Sunrisers’ innings to at least drag them to a respectable 8-152.
Then he produced probably his best bowling of this year’s campaign, delivering a snorting inswinger in his second over to get key man Jos Buttler caught behind, while conceding just six runs in his first two miserly overs of the power play.
But Gujarat captain Shubman Gill was in imperiously controlled mood and, aided by a sparkling 49 off 29 from allrounder Washington Sundar, he compiled a smooth, unbeaten 61 to allow them to ease to victory on 3-153.
Cummins didn’t get much support from the rest of his attack and with the Sunrisers having again left out Adam Zampa from the team, by the time the captain returned for his final over, the game felt done and dusted.
And it certainly was within two more deliveries as Sherfane Rutherford (35no off 16) hammered him for six and four, with Gujarat then easing to their target with 20 balls to spare and leaving Cummins wondering how his side can rally as they lie bottom of the 10-team table with only four to qualify.
There’s a big problem with his team’s batting as the confident swagger of the feared ‘Travishek’ opening partnership between Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma has evaporated this season.
Head suffered another early exit, getting lucky with a couple of streaky fours off old foe Mohammed Siraj before getting dismissed on the last ball of the opening over.
At least this time there was no repeat of Siraj’s infamous Adelaide Test send-off that got both of them in hot water.
Siraj was superb, picking up 4-17 in four overs but another Sunriser star of last year, Heinrich Klaasen, the most expensive overseas recruit in 2025, flattered to deceive with his 27 off 19 balls. The brilliant South African is yet to score a 50 this season.
Cummins might be tempted to bring himself up the order next time as he showed the top-order how to do it with three fours and a six off his nine balls.
© AAP
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