The IPL 2024 Qualifier 1 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was thrilling. Pat Cummins once again proved his mettle at this iconic venue, reminiscent of his unforgettable performance in the ODI World Cup final last year.

Match Overview

In the highly anticipated Qualifier 1, SRH won the toss and opted to bat first. The match quickly became a spectacle of high-quality cricket, with both teams showcasing their skills and strategies to secure a place in the finals.

See Also: IPL 2024: KKR bowlers crush SRH, restrict them to a low total in Qualifier 1

Cummins’ Heroics

Pat Cummins led from the front, delivering a remarkable batting performance. His innings included a sensational reverse shot for six off Varun Chakravarthy’s delivery, which landed straight into the KKR dugout. Cummins’ quick 30 runs off 24 balls were crucial in adding valuable runs to SRH’s total.

Following Pat Cummins’ impressive knock, netizens took to social media platforms to shower him with praise.

Pat Cummins best captain of this season by a mile #IPL2024

— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) May 21, 2024

Pat Cummins hits six and four Vs Mitchell Starc. This is a Cricket heritage. pic.twitter.com/GeHc0RmqZY

— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) May 21, 2024

Pat Cummins, yaarra nee?

He's done this time & again, WITH THE BAT.

His team would be 100-7, he will come & play a sensible knock, score 30, post a respectable total, transfer the momentum. He's done it for Australia, KKR & now SRH.

126-9 to 160. SUCH A COMPETITIVE FUCKER.

— Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16) May 21, 2024

When I see Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc performing in big match giving their 200% I feel better that we didn't lose World Cup 2023 final but these Australian guys snatched it form us.

— EngiNerd. (@mainbhiengineer) May 21, 2024

Pat Cummins after playing captaincy knock made respectable total for Sunrisers Hyderabad 💯💥#KKRvsSRH #Qualifier1 #IPLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Duh0BPgh2d

— Ashutosh Srivastava 🇮🇳 (@sri_ashutosh08) May 21, 2024

Now this is what you say – Captain leading from the front.

Pat Cummins somehow took Hyderabad to 159 in the end. But KKR will still be happy to chase down this total. 👏🏻

Starc showed once again why he’s called the BIG MATCH PLAYER. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/N0Oo5a87NV

— Saif Ahmed 🇧🇩 (@saifahmed75) May 21, 2024

Pat cummins keeping the game alive doing best for his team , he is lucky all the way 🔥#KKRvsSRH pic.twitter.com/qOV2SOcDjU

— Berlin (@realwitcher_) May 21, 2024

Starc vs Other batters 🗿
Starc vs Cummins 🤡

Bhaichara on Top 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3UAogre4SB

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) May 21, 2024

Early Wickets and SRH Collapse

SRH’s innings started disastrously, with Travis Head getting bowled out by Mitchell Starc for a two-ball duck. Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi tried stabilizing the innings but couldn’t withstand the pressure for long. Vaibhav Arora’s tight bowling further compounded their problems, as he dismissed Abhishek Sharma early.

Starc’s Fiery Spell

Mitchell Starc was the star of the show with his fiery spell. He took crucial wickets, including those of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed, leaving SRH reeling at 44/4 by the end of the powerplay. His pace and accuracy were too much for the SRH batters to handle.

Middle Order Struggles

KKR’s spin duo, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine took control of the middle overs. Heinrich Klaasen, who tried to counterattack, was dismissed by Varun’s second delivery. Varun’s consistent performance, with 39 wickets in 27 IPL innings since 2023, has been instrumental for KKR.

Late Order Resilience

Despite the early collapse, Pat Cummins provided some late-order resilience, scoring 30 off 24 balls. His efforts and some lower-order contributions helped SRH reach a respectable total of 159, though it appeared below par on a good batting surface.