Australia's Pat Cummins, fresh off leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to their third IPL final, faces a formidable Kolkata Knight Riders side in the Indian Premier League showdown on Sunday. Cummins, known for his World Cup-winning exploits, seeks another major trophy just days after a tough loss.
Hyderabad secured their final spot with a 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in Chennai, rebounding from an earlier heavy defeat to Kolkata. The only IPL title for Hyderabad came in 2016 under another Australian, David Warner.
Cummins, a key figure for Hyderabad bought for $2.5 million, has proven his leadership with record IPL scores and astute bowling changes. "Very practical guy, very humble, very empathetic with his fellow team-mates and coaching staff," said Hyderabad assistant coach Simon Helmot.
Kolkata, led by Shreyas Iyer, topped the league table with 20 points and have been in dominant form. Mitchell Starc, who was the costliest buy in IPL history at $2.98 million, has been pivotal for Kolkata's success. Starc's performance, including 3-34 in the first qualifier against Hyderabad, highlighted his impact.
"I'm very confident that KKR are going to win here," said Australian cricketer-turned-commentator Matthew Hayden. Kolkata have been boosted by Sunil Narine's aggressive batting and the bowling prowess of Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana.
The final promises a thrilling contest, with Hyderabad's formidable batting lineup, including Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, against Kolkata's strong bowling attack.
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