SRH captain Pat Cummins left with bad taste in mouth as Titans loss brings heavy sanction

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Pat Cummins has been sanctioned for maintaining a slow over-rate in match 56 against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 12. 

Cummins has been booked under Article 2.22 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which relates to minimum over-rate offences. With this being his outfit's first offence of such kind in the ongoing 19th edition of the lucrative tournament, Cummins was fined only INR 12 lakhs.

The Aussie used six bowlers to restrain Titans to 168 in their allotted quota of 20 overs. Cummins, Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain were the only three bowlers from SRH who bowled their full quota of four overs. Cummins returned figures of 1/20 and dismissed Nishant Sindhu (22 off 14).

Praful Hinge was the standout bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Hinge was impactful with the new ball as he accounted for Shubman Gill (5) and Jos Buttler (7) while giving away just 17 in the process. 

What raised many eyebrows, though, was Cummins' decision to bowl Malinga for four overs when the Sri Lankan was clearly struggling to hit the right length on a surface which had a fair amount of assistance for the pacers. Malinga leaked 46 runs without a wicket, leaking at an alarming rate of 11.50.

SRH's collapse of gigantic proportions

Chasing 169, Sunrisers Hyderabad's famed batting order fell like a pack of cards and were reeling at 32/4 inside the powerplay. Kagiso Rabada was the chief destroyer as he tore through their batting and was adjudged the Player of the Match (POTM) for returning figures of 3/28.

Cummins top-scored for his side with 19 off just nine deliveries, including a boundary and two sixes at a strike rate of 211.11. SRH were eventually bowled out for just 86 in 14.5 overs. They are now third on the points table with 14 points and two games to go.