IPL 2024 Final: SRH Thriving on ‘Aussie Midas’ Pat Cummins’ Empathetic Touch & Cult of Personality – News18

The 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League is inching towards its grand conclusion as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders go head to head to determine who will get their hands on the coveted trophy and everything that goes with it.

Both sides have had a rather contrasting road to the summit clash with KKR breezing through the group stage and the qualifier to book a date with destiny, while SRH had to weather the storms of two playoff games to throw their name into the finals pot.

ALSO READ | KKR vs SRH IPL 2024 Final Weather Update

SRH have experienced a watershed season this year around, redefining how players and fans alike approach the shortest format of the game of cricket. The side from Hyderabad have shattered multiple records en route to the championship clash and have outlined an ultra-aggressive take to the sport, which has ended up paying dividends.

And at the centre of it all stands their prolific skipper Pat Cummins, who can seemingly do no wrong. The Australian has stood at the frontline, never shying away from any adversary, and has come out trumps each time life has thrown an opportunity his way.

The pacer was roped in by the aspirational Sunrisers franchise, who have worked wonders halfway across the globe in the SA20 league by defending the title they managed to win a year ago, for a mind-bending 20.5 Crore Indian Rupees at the auction exercise preceding the season.

And the man who broke Indian hearts in Australian colours on November 19 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium has given new hope to the Hyderabadi faithful, carrying his team on his shoulders with his unmistakable aura.

The ‘Midas Touch’ is an often overused trope in sports with supporters hailing leaders who navigate challenges and seem to come out on top. And if former Indian and CSK skipper MS Dhoni personified the motif, Cummins has imbibed the culture of winning with a rather personal spin on stuff.

ALSO READ | IPL 2024 Final: Win or Lose, Shreyas Iyer Had a Point to Prove and He’s Done It Already

The Westmead-born seamer emulated sporting greats with his ODI World Cup exploits, leading the Aussies to a record-extending sixth title, etching his name in the annals of cricketing folklore for eternity. But his knack for winning silverware can never be written off as a flash in a pan as he heralded the Australians to the Word Test Championship win over India at the Lords in the lead-up to the 50-over spectacle in India. He also helped Australia dominate England 4-0 in the 2021/2022 Ashes series.

And with everything going swimmingly well for the tall seamer in international colours, he carried the same swing into franchise cricket with the Sun Network-owned IPL side.

The unit has prided itself on its MO of high-risk-high-reward cricket time and again throughout the season and across verticals, and what has perhaps been crucial in the actualisation of their conceptual procedures has been the synergy between their ideologies and the ethos Cummins embodies.

“I think just the whole feeling in the squad has been amazing the whole time,” Cummins said at the presser ahead of the championship clash in Chennai.

“I didn’t really know what to expect because I hadn’t played at SRH before. But everyone from the players to the coaches to the media staff to the logistics to the owners has been so supportive of how we want to play,” he explained.

He was quick to applaud the conducive environment everyone, in the spotlight as well as backstage, has created for a cricketing system to thrive. Cummins also shed light on the camaraderie that exists in the camp and how they pepped each other through uncertainties.

“Everyone’s just really good people. So, you know, even when there’s been some of the losses and harder moments, everyone rallies around each other and that’s stayed really consistent the whole time,” the 31-year-old revealed.

The charismatic captain, who has created a sort of cult centred around his personality in addition to his sporting prowess concluded by expressing his delight with the zeitgeist prevalent in the contingent.

ALSO READ | IPL 2024: How Kolkata Knight Riders Made it to Their 4th Final

“It doesn’t always guarantee success, but I think the way that the team’s set up and the people that they are gives you the best chance,” he signed off.

It remains to be seen if Cummins could weave his magic touch yet again and bring SRH their second IPL trophy, but one thing stands certain- the Australian skipper has altered the landscape of franchise cricket and the sport as a whole with his sporting acumen and upbeat spirit, all with a gleeful smile on his face and persona that exudes confidence.

Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024 , including updated list of Orange Cap In IPL 2024 and Purple Cap. Explore IPL Match Today . Check IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes , Most Fours ,Most Fifties And Most Hundreds In IPL 2024. Stay updated with the latest news on the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.