Dissecting the Downward Spiral of Pat Cummins in IPL 2025
Published on: May 7, 2025 11:06 am IST|Updated on: May 7, 2025 11:15 am IST
Eighteen crores. Yes, you heard it right! It took INR 18 crores for Sunrisers Hyderabad to get hold of Australian ODI and Test skipper Pat Cummins. The pace bowler was among the retained players from the last season, with the second-highest price tag. But was he able to justify his price tag and the leadership role given to him in the Tata IPL 2025? Let’s delve deep into this topic and dissect Cummins’ performance this season.
Breaking down Pat Cummins’ performance in IPL 2025
Pat Cummins is one of the costliest buys for Sunrisers Hyderabad from the last season. He was picked up for INR 20 crore in the 2024 edition and was retained for INR 18 crore this season. Before going any further, let’s take a look at Cummins’ stats this season.
Here are Pat Cummins’ IPL 2025 stats up to SRH’s 11th match vs DC:
| Player | Team | Matches | Wickets | Overs Bowled | Runs Conceded | Best Figures | Bowling Average | Economy Rate | Strike Rate | 50s/100s (Batting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | SRH | 11 | 13 | 39.4 | 363 | 3/19 | 27.92 | 9.15 | 18.30 | 0/0 |
The SRH skipper has bowled the most overs for his team in this edition of the Tata IPL and still has only 13 wickets at an economy rate of over 9. If we leave SRH’s last game against DC, where Cummins picked up 3 for 19, his best bowling figures this season, Cummins hasn’t been near his best.
Before the DC game, Pat Cummins was averaging more than 30, and his economy was as high as 10 runs per over. Numbers like these don’t justify the price tag the 33-year-old carries and raise question marks on his ability as a T20 bowler.
Is Pat Cummins really a T20 bowler?
Pat Cummins is widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers in world cricket, but his effectiveness in T20 cricket has often been debated. While he has excelled in Tests, his T20 credentials have been questioned due to his economy rate and ability to contain runs in high-pressure situations.
Cummins possesses all the attributes of a great T20 bowler. Raw pace, accuracy, and the ability to generate bounce, but his tendency to leak runs at crucial moments has sometimes overshadowed his wicket-taking ability. In IPL 2025, he has been in the most absurd form in recent times. He has leaked runs at will and has been a burden on the team. His economy rate was above 10 for most of the season, which has been the biggest setback for SRH this season.
Pat Cummins as SRH skipper
Besides his dip in bowling form, Pat Cummins’ decision as SRH skipper has been questionable. Right from the very first game, where they scored a mammoth 286 against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, SRH bowlers gave away 242 and were able to manage a win by only 44 runs, which indicates the miserable captaincy of Pat Cummins.
Not only in their opening game, but in most of SRH’s matches, Pat Cummins’ clueless captaincy has raised eyebrows. Cummins hasn’t been a leader who has led his team from the front. Many decisions, like sticking with Simarjeet Singh for n number of games despite being taken to the cleaners by the batters. Rahul Chahar, a renowned prodigy in IPL cricket, getting only a solitary game and a solitary over in the entire season was questionable.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting has been a major concern this season, struggling in almost every game. Despite repeated failures, the team management has stuck to its usual lineup without making significant changes. Travis Head, who shares the dressing room with fellow Australian Pat Cummins, has managed just two fifties this season, yet the leadership has continued to back him despite his lack of form.
With a seasoned all-rounder like Wiaan Mulder available in the squad, SRH could have explored a better balance, but the team, under an Australian-led setup, has struggled to find the right combinations. Their inability to address key weaknesses has cost them dearly, and now, having fallen out of playoff contention, it’s clear that their decision-making has played a role in their disappointing campaign.
What’s next for Pat Cummins and SRH?
The Sunrisers have had a nightmare of a season. They became the third team to get eliminated from the playoff race with almost 3 weeks to go in the IPL 2025 final. Going into the auctions next season, SRH needs to take some quirky and tough calls to set up a squad with backups, especially for their openers.
Pat Cummins’ future with Sunrisers Hyderabad remains uncertain. Will he be retained for next season? Will he continue to lead the side? These are the big questions that will only be answered once the team makes its decisions ahead of IPL 2026. His leadership and performances have been a key talking point, but whether SRH chooses to back him or go in a different direction is something fans will have to wait and watch.
