IPL 2024: Tom Moody lauds Pat Cummins as 'Similar to MS Dhoni' following SRH's dominant win over CSK

Friday's IPL match saw the Chennai Super Kings post a total of 165/5 in 20 overs, with standout performances from Shivam Dube (45 off 24) and Ajinkya Rahane (35 off 30). In response, Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down the target, scoring 166/4 in 18.1 overs, winning by 6 wickets with 11 balls to spare. Aiden Markram's impressive 50 off 36 and Abhishek Sharma's quickfire 37 off 12 were instrumental in the Sunrisers' victory. Notably, Abhishek Sharma was awarded Player of the Match for his all-round contribution. The Toss was won by Sunrisers who elected to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Also Read: Ashutosh Sharma questions Chandrakant Pandit's coaching style

Tom Moody thinks Pat Cummins is somewhat similar to MS Dhoni

On April 5, Pat Cummins created history by captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first time as a T20 team captain, guiding them to a decisive 6-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings. Additionally, this victory was SRH's second straight at home this season.

Tom Moody praised Cummins for his leadership qualities after the game. He applauded Cummins for his unorthodox style of captaincy, pointing out that Cummins frequently offers strategies that might not be immediately apparent. Before the IPL 2024, Cummins had never captained a T20 squad, but he swiftly adjusted to the position and showed his mettle in the game's shortest format.

One particularly noteworthy example of Cummins' creative captaincy came when he gave the ball to Abhishek Sharma rather than the seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was renowned for his accurate ball-swinging. Moody saw this choice as an illustration of Cummins's ability to think creatively and his readiness to use unorthodox tactics in order to further the team's interests. Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Tom Moody stated: 

“The one thing I like about Cummins is he is a bit like MS Dhoni. He is prepared to make a decision that most people don’t think about, but makes you feel like ‘Why didn’t I think about that?’ Like the Abhishek Sharma over. It was quite an odd decision when you look at the other options they could have gone with,” 

“You have arguably the best new ball bowler in IPL history in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. You have got an off spinner against left-handers. You think Markram would be another one. There was plenty of other ways he could have gone. But he committed to that and it looked like from the get go, he convinced himself that it was the right decision,” 

Also Read: Yuvraj Singh heavily backs this CSK all-rounder, calls him GAMECHANGER

At the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, on Tuesday, April 9, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will square off. When these two strong teams face off on the cricket pitch, fans of the game can anticipate an interesting match.