Multanpur: In a game dominated by big hits and quick turnarounds, it was a quiet moment of confidence that stood out. Shreyas IyerInstead of reading the script, he turned to the part-timer. Shashank Singh For an over at a time when Sunrisers openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head were picking Punjab’s frontline bowlers apart with ease. It wasn’t the most obvious move in a high-scoring contest, but it showed a captain willing to back instinct and a player willing to take responsibility. This brief exchange in the middle overs, as Iyer would later explain, shaped the duration of the game. “We all got together, and Shashank came to me and said, ‘Give me an over’. Ricky Ponting came and asked me, ‘What do you think? I said, ‘I’ll go with Shashank.’ I needed someone to pick up the pace,” said Iyer, recalling the moment that changed the pace. That belief was immediately rewarded as Shashank sent back both Sunrisers’ openers. “He lived up to my expectations; he lived up to what he said, thanks to him. At the end of the day, we all know we have the skills. We just need a strong mindset,” Iyer added. We’re missing Cummins: Aaron Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Varun Arun struck a defiant tone as he addressed the dual realities that shaped his team’s outing against Punjab Kings. One, the absence of regular captain and premier fast bowler Pat Cummins; The second, an innings that ultimately promised more. “There’s no two ways we’re going to miss Pete (Cummins),” Haroon said, clarifying the void left by the Australian quick. “We’re obviously missing him because he’s one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He’s been at the top of his game for a while now. And he’s someone who can get us wickets with the new ball, in the middle and at the death.” “I am sure he will come back and join the team soon,” Haroon added. If that was one part of the story, the other was how the Sunrisers’ innings faltered after a flying start. Aaron admitted that the way we started, we thought we would get a few more runs. “But you have to understand that the opposition also came to play. They bowled really well in that middle phase, hit their lengths well and didn’t make it easy for our batsmen.”
