T20 World Cup: Unburdened by captaincy, Australian captain Pat Cummins hits peak form

NEW DELHI: Australian captain Pat Cummins is thriving in a lighter workload at the T20 World Cup, free from the pressures of T20 captaincy. This newfound freedom seems to be agreeing with him, as he ripped through Bangladesh with a stellar 3-29 spell that included the tournament’s first hat-trick.

Cummins praised his team’s all-around performance, highlighting veteran David Warner’s second consecutive fifty and a bowling attack that stifled Bangladesh to a meager 140/8. Australia cruised to victory by 28 runs (DLS method), maintaining their unbeaten record in the tournament.

“We’ve ticked all the boxes so far,” Cummins said after the match. “Everyone has contributed, which is exactly what you want in the Super 8s.” He expressed his confidence in the team’s depth, stressing their ability to adapt with different players seamlessly slotting into various roles.

Cummins also lauded teammate Mitchell Starc for becoming the highest wicket-taker in combined ODI and T20 World Cup history. “Starcy’s been a class act for over a dozen years,” he said. “His ability to stay fit and deliver in these big tournaments is impressive.”

Speaking about David Warner, who is set to retire after the World Cup, Cummins acknowledged his insatiable hunger for runs in major events. “He just loves scoring big runs in ICC tournaments,” Cummins said. “Whether it’s because of his upcoming retirement or not, he’s in fantastic form and playing with great freedom, which is a huge boost for us.” Agencies

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