Another year, another disappointing start for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Ever since David Warner’s departure ahead of the IPL 2022, the franchise has suffered. The southpaw opener was the man behind the franchise’s only title run in 2014 and continued to lead the side on and off for the next seven years until his exit after the 2021 season.
His exit shocked everyone, especially if you consider that out of the 10 captains the franchise has had, David Warner remains the only one to have a title under his belt and has the highest number of match wins. Despite this, Australia was cast away from the franchise. Since then, SRH has won just 10 of their 29 matches. They ended 8th in 2022, 10th in 2023, and are yet to win a match in the ongoing IPL 2024 season.
Kane Williamson failed to find success in 2022, and Aiden Markram failed in 2023. Can Pat Cummins save the sinking ship in 2024, or will SRH wait for the IPL 2025 mega auction to change their fortune?
David Warner: SRH’s Mr. Dependable
It wasn’t just that Warner was their greatest skipper, but their best batter as well. He remains the franchise’s highest run-getter with over 4000 runs and was their leading run-getter in 2014 as well, when they lifted their solitary title. Being an opener, one has to appreciate his performance even more. He averages nearly 50 with the bat for SRH and strikes at over 140 as well.
Apart from the bucketloads of runs, he has the most matches (95) and catches (46) of any SRH player as well. The live wire in the field changed games through his athletic abilities on multiple occasions as well, and he was a bankable boundary rider.
Now, the question is: can Pat Cummins do what David Warner did for the franchise? So far in his short career, Cummins has not shown his skills. His bowling returns have been lean, and while his batting numbers have been impressive, they are nowhere near what they need to be for him to consistently win games for his side.
Will Pat Cummins change the tide and make sure that SRH fans don’t miss David Warner in IPL 2024? Only time will tell.
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