Always A Balance As Bowler: Cummins on Sooryavanshi Challenge Ahead of Eliminator

Mullanpur: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins has said the team is focusing on refining their bowling plans and learning from past mistakes as they gear up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in New Chandigarh on Wednesday evening.

Speaking to JioStar, Cummins acknowledged the challenge of containing impact batters like 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had previously slammed a century against SRH during a league stage match in Jaipur.

"It's always a balance as a bowler, understanding what you do well and how you're going to bowl to your strengths. But when there are one or two players in every lineup who can take the game away, you do spend a little longer working on a Plan B or Plan C. We'll plan for him. Even though he got a hundred against us last time, I thought there were times we actually bowled quite well to him and kept him quiet. At other times, he got away. So we'll learn from that," Cummins said.

The SRH skipper added that the focus remains on consistency in execution rather than overcomplicating plans for individual batters.

"We'll try to stick to our strengths and make small adjustments where needed. It's about executing better in key moments," he added.

Cummins also praised middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen for his outstanding form this season, calling him a decisive factor in SRH's campaign.

In the ongoing IPL season, Klaasen is the third-highest run-scorer with 606 runs from 14 matches. The right-handed batter has maintained a strong average of 50.50 and has registered six half-centuries so far.

"He's a very, very good player. Always has been, and he's gone to another level this year. Some of his knocks in Chennai on a really tough wicket, and even the last game against RCB, have been incredible. He can step in and change the tempo of a game. We feel very lucky he's in our middle order. He's been a big reason for our success," Cummins said.

The clash between Hyderabad and Rajasthan shapes up to be a cracker of a contest, with the winner earning a Qualifier Two spot to face the Gujarat Titans. The winner will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final.