The Midas touch that Pat Cummins has enjoyed in his captaincy career has helped propel him to another major international final, this time with his Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad. Cummins, who has taken Australia to a triumph in the World Test Championship and 50-over World Cup in the last year, was thrilled to lead his success-starved team to the final of T20’s juggernaut event on Friday, steering them to a comfortable 36-run semi-final win over Rajasthan Royals in Chennai. It was another feather in the leadership cap of the 31-year-old bowler, whose remarkable success has long since silenced any of those critics who doubted his tactical acumen.
Pat Cummins may be good at ‘fighting Tories’ but he is no culture warrior | Gideon Haigh Read more Once again also leading from the front, with his four overs going for just 1-30 as the Royals stumbled to 7-139 in pursuit of 176, Cummins coaxed another impressive tune out of his side, who have been the league’s boldest, most attacking outfit this season. “It is a fantastic occasion, for the whole franchise, there’s about 60 or 70 of us in the changing room, with the coaches and the staff and everyone who puts their heart and soul into this team,” said Cummins after setting up a final rematch with Mitchell Starc’s Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai on Sunday. “So it’s really gratifying, and hopefully we can go one more.
” It will be another pacers’ showdown between the two biggest overseas signings.
