"It can be mentally taxing to travel" - Pat Cummins details issues ahead of IPL 2024 as he prepares for captaincy debut
SunRisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins has admitted that the travelling part in an IPL season causes more fatigue than the tournament itself. However, the 30-year-old stated that they have been constantly doing it over the years and is ready to go for Saturday's fixture.
The Aussie cricketer will play for his 3rd IPL franchise when the SunRisers take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their first match of IPL 2024 on Saturday at the Eden Gardens. The right-arm speedster has played 42 matches and snared 45 scalps at 30.16 alongside an economy rate of 8.54.
Speaking on Friday ahead of their tournament opener, the 30-year-old said four overs a game is not so exhausting as travelling between the matches is. He elaborated:
"It's a format I've never captained before. Tomorrow (Saturday) is going to be my first game. With a bit of preparation, I'm good to go. It's got its challenges. You play 14 games in six-seven weeks, plus finals. I'm used to playing a lot of Test cricket, so four overs isn't as taxing on your body. But it can be mentally taxing to travel, you're playing a new team every few days you've got to prepare for.
"But it's nothing new, we've done it before, so obviously the game days are the most important, that's where we put most of our energies into. No team plays the same XI all 14 games."
The SunRisers will have massive expectations from Cummins, who fetched INR 20.25 crore from them. With the New South Wales cricketer replacing Aiden Markram as captain and experiencing a stellar year, the Orange Army will hope for a reversal in fortunes.
"It's T20 cricket, you will be hit around" - Pat Cummins
Cummins expressed confidence in their experienced line-up and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with the youngsters. He said:
"We have got loads of experienced guys excited with the lineup. Bhuvi I will be leaning on a lot. We have got a lot of experience and young guys as well. It's T20 cricket, you will be hit around, not worry about too much. So it will be up for the experienced guys to help the youngsters out."
The SunRisers bagged their first title in 2016.