Pat Cummins, Australia’s Test, and ODI captain have opted to forego next year’s IPL event in order to focus on guiding his team through a rigorous international cricket calendar. Pat Cummins was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL auction earlier this year for Rs 7.25 crore, but the right-arm fast bowler has opted to forego next year’s contest in order to relax ahead of a hectic season for Australian cricket.
I’ve taken the painful choice to skip the IPL next year,” Pat Cummins stated on Twitter on Tuesday. The international calendar is jam-packed with Tests and ODIs for the next 12 months, so we’ll take a break before the Ashes series and World Cup.
Pat Cummins turns back on IPL
The Ashes series, which Pat Cummins will captain, will begin in June of next year, while the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be held in India in October and November. With Pat Cummins’ side presently leading the World Test Championship rankings, Australia has a solid chance of making the World Test Championship final next year.
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Australia has a 70% win-loss record and may come one step closer to securing a spot in next year’s Test showcase during the forthcoming home series against the West Indies and South Africa. They will then head to India early next year to compete for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will likely determine who finishes in the top two and qualifies for the World Test Championship final.
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Pat Cummins took seven wickets in five IPL matches for the Knight Riders this season, but he also made headlines with the bat, scoring a quick-fire 50 from just 14 deliveries against the Mumbai Indians. Cummins’ knock equaled India opener KL Rahul’s previous record for the fastest half-century at the tournament.
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