Hyderabad, May 6 (IANS) Skipper Pat Cummins led the way with both his bowling and his words, earning the Player of the Match award for his impressive 2/40 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Punjab Kings by 33 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal.

Reflecting on the game, Cummins said, “I fell really good. Came into this fresh. Not much has worked for any team in the powerplay, really. We’ve got lots of options. Punjab are a really good side. I thought the batters getting off to what we did was sensational. No matter what the score is, bowling second against that side was clinical.”

SRH’s victory was built on strong batting followed by disciplined bowling, with Cummins playing a key role in both areas. After an explosive start from Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, Hyderabad kept their momentum through the middle overs. Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, both given second chances due to dropped catches, capitalized with smooth half-centuries that pushed SRH past the 200-run mark, setting up a tough total.

Cummins acknowledged the team’s ability to adjust to conditions, especially on a pitch that wasn’t entirely straightforward. “We’re pretty good at playing at our pace. It’s just trying to max out. We’re not good during the day at home! It gripped a little, which suits our bowlers. We’ve seen it before and we can adjust,” he noted, highlighting SRH’s awareness of strategy.

Defending the total, SRH struck early and hard. Cummins set the tone with a smart dismissal of Priyansh Arya, using a well-disguised short ball after moving mid-on back. Nitish Kumar Reddy then removed Prabhsimran Singh, and Eshan Malinga increased the pressure by getting Shreyas Iyer out. Punjab Kings found themselves struggling at 57/3 in the powerplay, despite scoring quickly.

Although Marcus Stoinis and Cooper Connolly tried to recover, the early losses were too damaging. Connolly stood firm with a brave unbeaten 107, showing composure under pressure, but he lacked support from the other end as the required run rate kept increasing. “Good result for Connolly. Good to see the Aussies do well. Hope so it’s our season.”

–IANS

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