After Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were eliminated from the Indian Premier League (IPL) following a washout against Delhi Capitals (DC), former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar said that skipper Pat Cummins hit the hard lengths consistently, which worked well for him and helped him get three wickets which broke the back of DC line-up. After a remarkable campaign last year, which saw SRH redefine T20 hitting with Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head at the helm, their aggressive approach backfired as they have bowed out of the league with just three wins in 11 games and plenty of underwhelming moments on the field as a batting and bowling unit.
Speaking on 'Match Centre Live' on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Bangar said about Cummins, who started the innings instead of left-out pacer Mohammed Shami, "It worked out well for Pat Cummins that Mohammed Shami opted out, which cleared the way for Cummins to take the new ball. Initially, he may have expected Shami to do most of the damage, which might have held him back a little. But today was his opportunity. He hit those hard lengths consistently, he was not really trying to swing the ball, and ended up taking three crucial wickets early in the innings."
Shami's season has been poor, having taken just six wickets in nine games at an average of 56.16 and an economy rate of 11.23. On the other hand, Cummins has fared better, with 13 wickets at an average of 27.92 and an economy rate of 9.15, with best figures of 3/19.
Speaking about SRH's season this time around, Bangar said that they will rethink their strategy going forward since it is not always their "high-risk" strategy that will work.
"It has been that kind of season for SRH. They started strong, scoring 280-plus in their very first match, and perhaps believed that same aggressive approach would carry them through. But that's a high-risk strategy and does not always work consistently. When your batters are in form, it looks great. But when they are not, you see the other end of the spectrum -- and that is where SRH find themselves now," said Bangar.
"Still, this being the first year of a new cycle, they will likely rethink their strategy going forward. It's unfortunate for SRH fans, especially since Hyderabad has become such a vibrant venue. The fans have shown great support, and hopefully, they'll have better memories in seasons to come," he concluded.
Coming to the match, after being reduced to 29/5, knocks from Tristan Stubbs (41* in 36 balls, with four boundaries) and Ashutosh Sharma (41 in 26 balls, with two fours and three sixes) took DC to 133/7. SRH could not chase as the game was washed out.
DC is in the fifth spot with six wins, four losses, and a no result, giving them 13 points. SRH is in the eighth spot, with three wins, seven losses, and a no result, giving them seven points.
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