Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his confidence in Pat Cummins, the World Cup-winning captain from Australia, taking on the leadership role for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Cummins was acquired by SRH for an astounding Rs 20.50 crore during the IPL auction, setting a record for the highest bid for a player at that time, until Mitchell Starc was purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 24.75 crore.
Gavaskar commended Cummins for his exemplary leadership skills and highlighted the leadership void SRH faced in the last IPL season. With Cummins' addition to the team, Gavaskar is convinced that the Australian star will assume the mantle of captaincy for the franchise.
"I think Pat Cummins was a smart buy, maybe a little over-expensive. Smart buy because he will bring the leadership aspect to their team, which was lacking the last time around. Last time around, some of the bowling changes that we saw in crucial games were just head-scratching, and that cost them matches. So now with Pat Cummins coming in, I am pretty certain that he will be the captain of the team and that will make a huge difference," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Aiden Markram captained Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023
While there's ongoing speculation about Aiden Markram's continuation as captain, Cummins' successful stint as Australia's captain, culminating in a World Cup win, positions him as a strong candidate for leading SRH. His leadership experience and cricketing prowess make him a valuable asset to the team.
SRH is eager to reverse its fortunes after a disappointing 2023 IPL season, where they finished at the bottom of the standings with only four victories in 14 games. The team is looking to rejuvenate its strategy and performance in the upcoming season, with hopes pinned on Cummins' leadership to catalyze a turnaround and inspire the team towards a successful campaign.
Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for IPL 2024: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Heinrich Klaasen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, T. Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav, Umran Malik, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan.
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