How has Pat Cummins fared as Australia's captain? Key stats
Australia's World Cup-winning skipper Pat Cummins is set to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Australian speedster replaced Aiden Markram as SRH's new skipper after they broke the bank to secure him at the auction. Cummins has been a hot commodity as he led Australia to the 2023 World Cup title. Here are his international stats as captain.
Two title-winning campaigns for Cummins
Cummins took over as Australia's captain in Test cricket after Tim Paine's controversial exit. He also replaced Aaron Finch as their ODI skipper following the latter's retirement. Under his leadership, the Kangaroos defeated India in the ICC World Test Championship final in 2023. Later, his Men in Yellow won the 2023 ODI World Cup after defeating hosts India in a high-voltage final.
Retaining the Ashes urn
Before the World Cup, Australia retained the Ashes urn after managing a 2-2 draw on England soil in June-July. After winning the first two games, the visitors lost the third match. Rain interruptions in the fourth Test meant Australia escaped a series-leveling defeat. Although England drew the series with a win in the final Test, reigning champions Australia retained the urn.
A spirited comeback from Cummins
Cummins led Australia in just four ODIs before the World Cup. The Men in Yellow lost two of these encounters. Two defeats in the first two World Cup games meant Cummins lost four of his first six games as Australia's ODI skipper. However, Cummins and Co. bounced back and scripted history. Australia won nine successive matches after losing their first two in the tournament.
Win percentage of nearly 60 in Tests
Cummins has led Australia in 27 Tests as of now, with the side winning 16 of them. While the Aussies lost six Tests, as many as five games ended in a draw. Cummins has a win percentage of 59.25 in Tests. Coming to ODIs, Cummins has led in 15 encounters. He has won 12 and lost just three ODIs as skipper so far.
Numbers with ball as Test captain
Cummins, who made his Test debut in 2011, has taken 264 wickets from just 61 matches at an incredible average of 22.59. As many as 100 of these wickets have come while leading Australia. Notably, Cummins averages just 16.95 with the ball as captain in winning cause (Tests). Seven of his 12 Test five-wicket hauls have come in this regard.
15 wickets in World Cup 2023
Cummins fared brilliantly with the ball in World Cup 2023 as he returned with 15 scalps across 11 games at 34.33. He claimed crucial wickets of Virat Kohli (54) and Shreyas Iyer (4) in the final game to finish with 2/34 in 10 overs. In the semi-final against South Africa, he returned with 3/51. This included the key wicket of centurion David Miller.
IPL 2024: Would Cummins weave his magic?
Coming to the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad finished last in 2023 under the leadership of Markram. They secured only four wins in the entirety of the season. SRH then acquired a match-winner in the form of Cummins at the auction. They dished out a record-breaking Rs. 20.50 crore for the deal. Cummins, SRH's new leader, would want to resurrect the Orange Army.
