Pat Cummins has overseen one last group-stage win for his Sunrisers Hyderabad charges - and it's enough to set up an IPL playoffs head-to-head between the Australian captain and fellow mega-rupee signing Mitchell Starc. Cummins' team sealed a four-wicket win over Punjab Kings on Sunday in front of their own Hyderabad fans to ensure they finished second in the table. It meant they will play Starc's Kolkata Knight Riders, the league's top team in the group stages, in Tuesday's opening finals match in Ahmedabad, with the winners guaranteed a place in next Sunday's final.
The defeated side will still get a second chance in an effective semi-final on Friday against the winners of Wednesday's eliminator between third-placed Rajasthan Royals and fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. But Cummins is beguiled by the prospect of Tuesday's clash against his fast-bowling buddy, with a direct route to the tournament showdown in Chennai an irresistible prize.
Between them, Cummins ($3.67 million) and Starc (a record $4.43 million) were sold for eye-watering figures in the IPL auction.
Now's the time to really show why they were worth the money. "I haven't played in the IPL finals before. It's satisfying and exciting," reckoned Cummins, whose side finally sealed the No.
2 seeding when the day's other match between Kolkata and Rajasthan was washed out. "That's a shame," Cummins had grinned when he had le.
