NEW DELHI: Newly-appointed skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Pat Cummins, is eager for his team to make a bold start in the upcoming IPL season, aiming to gain early momentum in the tournament.
Acquired for a staggering Rs 20.50 crore during last year’s player auction, Cummins has taken over the captaincy from South African Aiden Markram, expressing his desire for an aggressive approach in the opening fixtures.
“A bit of planning to go and then just want to get off to a really good start. T20s are hard. Kolkata’s a good team, but I just want to see a really aggressive start to the season,” remarked Cummins in a video shared by SRH on their official social media account.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad will kick off their IPL campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Cummins’ former team, at the Eden Gardens on March 23.

Cummins highlighted his intention to collaborate closely with both players and coaching staff to maximize results during the tournament.
“I mean, the plans are, you know, I work really closely with the guys that I don’t know too well…get to know them. Get to know what they need from me out in the middle. And then work with coaches and what they want to see out of me as well as a player,” explained Cummins.
Excited about the blend of youth and experience within the SRH ranks, Cummins emphasized the team’s potential for success.
“I think we’ve got a great mix. We’ve got a couple more experienced guys like Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar). Obviously, Aiden Markram was captain last year. But we’ve got some exciting young talent. I’m super excited to see guys like Abhishek (Sharma), Umran Malik, these guys I’ve only seen a little bit of but super excited. So, I think fans should be pretty pumped for the season ahead,” said Cummins.
With Cummins at the helm, Sunrisers Hyderabad aim to embark on a dynamic and competitive journey in IPL 2024, blending aggression with strategic planning to strive for success in the tournament.
(With inputs from PTI)