'We’ve earned the...': Captain Pat Cummins opens up on SRH’s playoff hopes ahead of GT clash

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins opened up on his side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoff aspirations ahead of their crucial clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 12.

After winning the toss, Cummins elected to bowl first and confirmed that SRH would go into the high-pressure contest with an unchanged playing XI from their previous game.

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Pat Cummins speaks on SRH’s playoff race

Explaining his decision to bowl first, Cummins said SRH wanted to assess the conditions early before chasing under lights.

"We're going to have a bowl first. We've not played here before, so have a first look at it with the ball, and then whatever we need to chase, hopefully gets a little bit easier later on."

Cummins also acknowledged the statistical trend of teams batting first enjoying success at the venue but stressed that several other factors come into play.

"A little bit. I mean, there's always different variables as well. I think there's been one or two blowout wins where they've bowled them out pretty cheaply in the first innings."

The SRH captain then shifted focus towards the playoff battle and made it clear that his side still had multiple opportunities to secure qualification.

"I think we've kind of earned the right to give ourselves a few chances and make that final. So we've got three games left."

Cummins also jokingly referred to Gujarat Titans’ strong record against Hyderabad after Abhishek Sharma brought it up in the dressing room.

"I said perfect, nothing to lose now. All the pressure's all on them."

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Winner of GT vs SRH clash likely to seal playoff spot

The Ahmedabad clash carries massive significance in the IPL 2026 playoff race as the winner of the contest is expected to move to the top of the points table and almost confirm a place in the knockout stage.

Both Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the game with identical records after 11 matches, having won seven and lost four games each.

However, SRH currently holds the edge in net run rate with an impressive +0.737 compared to GT’s +0.228.

With only a few league matches remaining, the result of this contest could play a decisive role in shaping the top four standings heading into the business end of IPL 2026.