Pat Cummins to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024

Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins has been named captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the forthcoming 2024 season of the IPL. Cummins, 30, replaces Aiden Markram at the helm with the franchise looking to head in a new direction after ending up with the wooden spoon last season.

SRH spent an astonishing £1.94million to buy Pat Cummins in the auction ahead of IPL 2024. There was a bidding war between CSK and MI before RCB swooped in. Shortly after, SRH threw their hat in the fray. RCB and SRH competed intensely to secure the services of the Australian captain, with SRH eventually pipping RCB to the post.

The 30-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable year in which he’s led Australia to a World Test Championship crown and a drawn-away Ashes series. Cummins though has a substandard record in the IPL, having taken 45 wickets from 42 games at an economy of 8.54.

The fast bowler has been a part of Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR signed him for a then-record sum of Rs 15.5 crore in the 2020 auction. Cummins was released and bought back by the franchise two seasons later for nearly a million dollars (Rs 7.25 crore).

Cummins’ 14-ball half century, crafted for KKR against Mumbai Indians in 2022, is the joint second-fastest fifty in IPL.