I wouldn't want to bowl to Abhishek: Cummins

Pat Cummins heaped heavy praise on Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Reddy after Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down a target of 215 against Punjab Kings on May 19 (Sunday). 

Abhishek smoked 66 off 28 deliveries, while Nitish crafted 37 off 25 deliveries to help SRH hunt down the target with five deliveries to spare.

“He (Abhishek) is amazing. I wouldn't want to bowl to him. It's scary as he plays with freedom, not only against pacers but also against spinners,” said Cummins.

“Nitish is a class player, looks mature beyond his age, seems to sum up the game really well, he is perfect for our top-order. Really satisfying and exciting.”

Abhishek, in particular, has been super destructive in the Indian Premier League 2024. The left-hander has slammed 467 runs across 13 innings at an average of 38.91 and a strike rate of 209.42. He has hit 41 sixes, the most by any batter this season. 

“It's a matter of time for any batsman. My days are going good so I should utilize it for my team. I wanted to contribute as the target was big today,” said Abhishek.

“I think I have told this before, during SMAT I was clear how I was going to play and dominate (during IPL). Just waiting for the loose balls, I am going hard against them and trying to put them (bowlers) under pressure.”

Punjab fielded only one overseas player - Rilee Rossouw - in their line-up, making it the first instance in the IPL. Skipper Jitesh Sharma, who slammed 32 off 15, didn’t look too worried about the loss. 

“It was fun out there. The boys fought really hard and we enjoyed a lot. Nice game without the overseas players.”

PBKS ended their season with five wins and nine defeats, finishing at No.9 on the points table.

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