Explosive openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma of SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) conveyed a special message to captain Pat Cummins after their recent win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma said the win was a special gift for Pat Cummins.
Hyderabad secured a 10-wicket win over the KL Rahul-led team at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Wednesday, May 8. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma helped the team reach the 166-run target in just 9.4 overs without losing a wicket. The SRH team moved up to third place in the overall standings.
This win is for Pat Cummins – Abhishek Sharma
On his 31st birthday, SRH captain Pat Cummins received warm wishes from his teammates Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head after their win against LSG. Abhishek and Head dedicated the win to him and made it a special birthday gift.
“Special message from the team to Pat Cummins: Happy birthday, this win is for you.” Sharma said.
“Yes, he’s getting old. Happy birthday Pat, I hope you enjoy it.” Head added.
Pat Cummins, who was bought by SunRisers Hyderabad for ₹20.25 crore at the auction, has been named captain. Cummins turned the tournament around with his aggressive gameplay. The 2016 IPL champions are likely to reach the playoffs after missing the last three editions.
The 31-year-old has taken 14 wickets in 12 games at an average of 31.71 and an economy rate of 9.25, with best bowling figures of 3/43. Cummins is his team’s second highest wicket-taker, behind T Natarajan, who has taken 15 wickets at an average of 24.53.
It was a lot of fun – Travis Head
Travis Head expressed his joy at the win after receiving the Player of the Match award. The start in Australia underlined the positive partnership with Abhishek Sharma. Head mentioned that they were focused on maximizing the power play and were unaware of the net run rate.
“There was a lot of fun. Abhi and I have built some good partnerships and it was great fun to bat with him again. I tried to get into position early and react to the ball. I was ahead of the competition in the first few overs and I felt we could maximize the powerplay. For the last 12 months the Australian team wanted me to bat like that and it was the same here.” said Head.
“Yes, it’s nice that he achieved a good result today. He is working very hard and it is good to see him scoring some runs today. We complement each other so well. We didn’t think about the net run rate until after the boys were out. I told us about it. I want to take this pitch with me everywhere. The chase was a bit difficult for us and we hope we can continue like this in the remaining games. he added.
Hyderabad can secure a place in the playoffs by winning one of their remaining two matches. When reaching 16 points, the net run rate is decisive. Their next match will be against Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 16 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
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