Pat Cummins Hails Nitish Reddy, Malinga as SRH Secures 42-Run Victory in IPL 2025 Clash
Lucknow, May 24: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins lauded his team’s all-round performance after a commanding 42-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday. Despite the win coming late in the season, Cummins expressed satisfaction with the team’s execution with both bat and ball.
“Little bit too late this season, but good all-around effort with both bat and ball,” Cummins said in the post-match presentation. He particularly praised young all-rounder Nitish Reddy, whose return to bowling has strengthened SRH’s attack. “Now that Nitish is back bowling, it does feel like we’ve got a genuine sixth bowler. Abhishek’s always telling me that he’s a good option and I should use him.”
Cummins also acknowledged the explosive batting of Ishan Kishan, marveling at his power despite his stature. “So much power for someone who’s not as tall as some others.”
The SRH skipper admitted misjudging the pitch initially, expecting a 170-run wicket, but the batters confirmed it was a high-scoring surface. “We actually misread the wicket. Thought it might have been a 170 wicket, but the batters came back and said it’s really good, so we kept going.”
He reserved special praise for seamer Eshan Malinga, calling him a standout performer this season. “He’s been great. Wherever you bowl him, he’s taken wickets. He’s got plenty of tools—the fast yorker and the great dipping slower ball. Has been a find this season.”
Match Recap:
SRH posted a massive 232, thanks to aggressive batting, before bundling out RCB for 189 in 19.1 overs. Cummins (3/28) led the bowling attack, while Malinga (2/38) and others chipped in with crucial wickets.
With this win, SRH moved to eighth place with 10 points (5 wins, 7 losses), while RCB remained third with 17 points (8 wins, 4 losses, 1 no-result). Though SRH’s playoff hopes are slim, Cummins’ men ended their campaign on a high note.