(Credit IPL)
As the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad approach the IPL 2024 final showdown against KKR, they stand on the brink of a milestone previously attained solely by their forerunners, the Deccan Chargers, in the annals of IPL history.
Grins stretched across the faces of the SRH squad as they clinched their spot in the Indian Premier League 2024 final, triumphing over RR in Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 24, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This victory propelled the Pat Cummins-led team closer to the coveted IPL trophy, following a slight setback with a loss in Qualifier 1. It marks the third time the franchise, established in 2013, will grace an IPL final, having previously lifted the trophy in 2016 under the stewardship of David Warner.
Yet, it’s not the echoes of their victorious 2016 campaign that will fuel SRH’s drive, but rather a nearly-forgotten tale from 15 years prior, poised to ignite their spirits. Remarkably, SRH’s remarkable journey in the current season mirrors that of their forebears, the Deccan Chargers (DC), in the 2009 season, when Adam Gilchrist steered the city’s team to their inaugural IPL triumph. Strikingly, numerous parallels link both campaigns. Just as the Chargers were guided by an Australian skipper in Gilchrist, SRH now find themselves under the leadership of Pat Cummins.
In 2009, the champions boasted an emerging Indian talent in Rohit Sharma, a name now synonymous with cricketing brilliance. Similarly, the current SRH lineup features Abhishek Sharma, whose aggressive batting style has caught the eye of Indian selectors. DC’s strength lay in the formidable presence of international heavy hitters like Andrew Symonds and Herschelle Gibbs. Conversely, SRH boasts the destructive prowess of Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram, both known for their ruthless striking abilities on the cricket field.
Each of these squads possessed potent Australian firepower at the helm.
In 2009, left-arm seamer RP Singh emerged as the top wicket-taker for DC, akin to the current season’s SRH standout, T. Natrajan, who has amassed an impressive 19 wickets thus far. Additionally, the destructive left-handed Australian opener, Gilchrist, set the tone for Deccan Chargers’ batting onslaught, a role now shouldered by Travis Head in the ongoing season. These parallels are indeed intriguing, yet replicating Deccan Chargers’ 2009 triumph will demand nothing short of a monumental effort from Pat Cummins and his squad, especially given KKR’s formidable form, which poses a formidable challenge even for a powerhouse like SRH.
Both teams flaunt the most potent batting lineups in the competition, breaching the 200-run mark six times each this season. Moreover, they’ve even transcended the 200-run milestone to form their exclusive 250-clubs, with SRH achieving this feat thrice and KKR twice. However, as the final showdown looms, batting prowess may take a backseat, with KKR’s formidable spin attack led by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy gaining ascendancy on Chennai’s spin-friendly surface.
SRH stands on the brink of replicating a distinctive achievement carved out by DC.
Therefore, SRH confront a formidable challenge as they gear up for the final showdown, aiming to dethrone the table-toppers in their familiar home turf. Should the Pat Cummins-led contingent accomplish this feat, they will etch their names alongside Deccan Chargers as only the second team in the IPL’s 17-year saga to clinch the title after finishing at the bottom of the points table in the preceding season. Drawing inspiration from the Chargers’ historic triumph in 2009, which bestowed Hyderabad with their maiden IPL trophy in South Africa, the ‘Orange Army’ is poised to channel that same spirit of resilience and triumph.
