'He Is A Bit Like MS Dhoni': Tom Moody Praises Cummins' Captaincy

Pat Cummins is leading the SRH team in IPL 2024 [ AP Photos]Pat Cummins is leading the SRH team in IPL 2024 [ AP Photos]

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) emerged victorious over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 encounter on Friday.

Led by Pat Cummins' sharp leadership, SRH successfully chased down a target of 166, finishing at 166/4 with 11 balls to spare. A crucial half-century by Aiden Markram, who scored 50 off 36 balls, along with a rapid 37 off 12 balls from 23-year-old Abhishek Sharma, set the foundation for their win.

Tom Moody draws parallels between Cummins and Dhoni's captaincy

The match not only highlighted SRH's cricketing brililiance but also brought Pat Cummins' captaincy skills into the limelight.

In in a discussion with ESPNCricinfo, former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach, Tom Moody lauded Cummins for his exceptional leadership, drawing a parallel between him and legendary MS Dhoni.

Moody admired Cummins' readiness to make unconventional decisions, just like the Indian veteran. Specifically, he noted Cummins' choice to utilize Abhishek Sharma in an over as a move not many would consider, yet it demonstrated Cummins' confidence in his decision-making, reminiscent of Dhoni's tactical genius.

"The one thing I like about Cummins is he is a bit like MS Dhoni. He is prepared to make a decision that most people don’t think about, but makes you feel like ‘Why didn’t I think about that?’ Like the Abhishek Sharma over. It was quite an odd decision when you look at the other options they could have gone with," said Moody.



The 58-year-old pointed out that despite having options like the eminent new ball bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar or employing an off-spinner against left-handers, Cummins opted for a less predictable strategy. 

This choice, according to Moody, highlighted Cummins' boldness and conviction, qualities that Dhoni has been celebrated for throughout his career.

"You have arguably the best new ball bowler in IPL history in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. You have got an off spinner against left-handers. You think Markram would be another one. There was plenty of other ways he could have gone. But he committed to that and it looked like from the get go, he convinced himself that it was the right decision," added the erstwhile cricketer.

Meanwhile, this victory has propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to the fifth spot in the IPL 2024 points table, accumulating four points from four matches. Chennai Super Kings, despite the loss, have held on to the third position, courtesy of their superior net run rate, also with four points.