New Delhi: Every now and then, the cricketing world needs a reminder of this. Pat Cummins Remains exceptional in his primary skill: fast bowling. Yet, in the process, Cummins’ captaincy has been somewhat overshadowed. Amidst the celebration of his exceptional skills with the ball, his tactical skills as a captain have been conspicuously overlooked.But it cannot be denied that Cummins the captain and Cummins the bowler are inseparable.In the IPL these days, even a score of 264 is not safe, and it is Cummins’ ultra-aggressive captaincy that has changed the paradigm of the tournament. In his first season as captain in IPL 2024, he set the tone. And who can forget talking to his team-mates in the dressing room, where he famously said: “Everybody gets nervous when they come up against us and we have to blow some teams out of the water before they even get on the field.“SRH’s 2025 campaign has been tough. This season, things are looking different, and they are in the playoffs once again. Although Cummins joined midway through the campaign after recovering from a stress injury, SRH continued to play a “take-no-prisoners” style of cricket under the stand-in captain. Ishan Kishana brand instilled in their DNA by Cummins.In an exclusive chat with TimesofIndia.com to celebrate New Balance Gray Days 2026 and the launch of The New Retail Concept Store in Noida, Pete Cummins talks about his style of captaincy, SRH, obsession with hitting sixes in T20 cricket, workload management, being an all-format player and why he “stayed clear” after being a cricketer. The batEdited quotes:It’s shaping up to be another strong season for you at SRH. How has the ride been so far?It’s been great. It’s a little different season for me, joining halfway through, but I felt really energized and really excited to be a part of it. The team is playing brilliantly, strong contributions across the squad, which has been really pleasing.
Ahmedabad, May 12 (ANI): Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of Nishant Sindhu of Gujarat Titans during the Indian Premier League 2026 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)
Joining the team in the middle and then maintaining the momentum, it looked like a smooth takeover by Ishan Kishan. Tell us a little about itIshaan is a fantastic captain, fantastic around the boys, so I was kind of out for the first seven games. Obviously, Daniel Vettori, the head coach and the whole coaching staff, they’re great too, so it’s all very smooth, whether it’s Ishaan or I’m the captain, there’s not a lot of changes in how we go about it.Over the past few seasons you and SRH in particular have been at the forefront of changing the way T20 cricket is played. How difficult was it to adopt this mentality in the group?I think it is a natural fit for T20 cricket. There are 10 teams in this competition, if you just want to be average, you’re not going to make it, so you have to do something that makes you stand out, separate you from the pack. Look at some of the talent of Abhishek (Sharma), Klaasen (Henrik), Trev (Travis Head), Ishan (Kishan), these guys should not be told that they can only bat in a certain way. You want to see them in full flight.I’m losing a lot of style and letting these guys go and play their natural game.
I think this is the new reality. You don’t have as many tools at your disposal. Cutters usually don’t grip, don’t swing much, don’t bounce much.
Pat Cummins on the plight of bowlers in T20s
The kind of pitches we see, the number of runs scored, it has been said every time that bowlers need to be skilled. Do you really see how much a bowler can do, because the balance is tipped to one side?I think this is the new reality. You don’t have as many tools at your disposal. Cutters usually don’t grip, don’t swing much, don’t bounce much.I don’t think it’s any different than it was a few years ago. The batsmen have been a bit more aggressive and perhaps they are starting to realize that they can score a bit faster than they thought before. I think that has been the biggest challenge.As a bowler, you just have to adapt to the new routine, find ways to defend yourself. Even if it’s the second over in a game, it can be a very important over that you need to try and defend.
Sunrisers Captain Pat Cummins
How does Pete Cummins prepare when he knows he will be bowling to a 15-year-old like Vibhu Suryavanshi who fights bowlers from the word go?I think he keeps everyone on their toes.You think a batsman will play a certain way and you see someone like him come out and try to hit every ball. You’re like, well, it’s fun. How will I meet this challenge? That’s mostly the way I see it. If something is thrown at me, I’m like, well, that’s interesting. How should I try to solve this problem?
I think the trend is that you see players resting a bit more from games than in previous generations because you’re trying to avoid 12 months of major injuries.
Pat Cummins on the challenges of bringing in an all-format bowler
It has been a growing trend now that very few people want to play/master every format. Not only the batsman but also the bowler. Few are left—themselves, Jaspreet BumrahMitchell Starc and Kagiso Rabada. You think now each team/country will look at formats in isolation and maybe not repeat players in each format?I would say not necessarily. I think the trend is you see players resting a bit more games than in previous generations because you’re trying to avoid 12 months of major injuries.Before this injury, I had played a lot of cricket in the last five years, bowled a lot, but I was also rested for a few matches here and there. There is only so much cricket. For example, next year, it is the year of ODI World Cup.I believe I will probably play more ODIs this year than the last few years. Like a T20 year, I’ll probably play more T20s.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 22: Pat Cummins takes part in a training session at Cricket Central on October 22, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCauley/Getty Images)
How difficult is the transition between formats, especially how physically difficult is it going into the intensity of the IPL like a five-Test series?Especially in Test cricket, we try to take a bit of time before or after to make sure you’re ready for the Test matches but also have a bit of recovery afterwards. Those are the ones I find probably the easiest to adopt. And then T20, I feel like I’ve played enough in the last couple of years, so you have to switch on mentally and know what your style is.How do you manage the toll cricket takes on the body and mind over such a long period of time?I’m a little used to it, but when we have a little break, we’re not on vacation. We are at home, hitting the gym every couple of days, trying to get stronger so that when we play a Test match, our bodies are ready for the rigors of it.
Seeing Vaibhu Suryavanshi going crazy against me I was like wow.
Pat Cummins
When was the last time Pat Cummins was wowed while watching a cricket or IPL match? As what you saw in the fixture was withdrawn.wow Perhaps seeing Suryavanshi (Vaibhu) going mad against me.You are one of Australia’s most successful leaders. Bowlers make great captains don’t they? Would you like to see more of this?Fast bowlers are always smart, so it makes sense. I just think whether you are a bowler, a keeper, whatever you are, I think your role in the team doesn’t matter whether you can be the captain or not.For example, when I’m talking about my bowling and my plans, I often turn to other bowlers because they have a really good insight into how they’re looking at the game, so I think it’s a natural fit to be the bowlers’ captain.
What aspect of Pat Cummins’ game do you find most impressive?
You’ve got a young family that constantly travels and performs under pressure, how important is routine and balance in your daily life?This is the hardest thing about this lifestyle. I’ve spent a lot of time at home with my injuries over the past 12 months, but they’ve come to India, so our little four-year-old has visited about 20 countries. You’re great at packing different bags and packing toys, but it’s fun. It’s hard work at times, but you always get home and you make some great memories.
