Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins has admitted his side will spend extra time preparing for Rajasthan Royals teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi ahead of their IPL 2026 Eliminator clash, acknowledging the youngster's ability to single-handedly change a game.
The 15-year-old has been one of the breakout stars of the season and already has a century against SRH to his name, forcing Hyderabad's bowlers to rethink their approach heading into the knockout fixture.
Speaking to JioStar, Cummins said elite match-winners such as Suryavanshi require teams to develop multiple bowling strategies rather than relying solely on their primary plans.
Pat Cummins expecting another challenge from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
While bowlers generally focus on executing their own strengths, Cummins admitted there are certain batters
who demand additional preparation because of their ability to seize control of a match.
"It's always a balance of, as a bowler, understanding what you do well and how you're going to bowl to your strengths. But when there are probably one or two players in every lineup who can take the game away from the opposition, you do spend a little bit longer working on a Plan B or Plan C. "
The Australian skipper confirmed Sooryavanshi falls firmly into that category.
"So, yeah, we'll plan for him. "
SRH taking lessons from previous encounter
Despite Sooryavanshi's hundred against Hyderabad earlier in the tournament, Cummins believes there were periods during the innings where SRH executed their plans effectively.
The key, according to the captain, will be identifying what worked and ensuring those moments become more consistent in the Eliminator.
"Even though he got a hundred against us last time, I thought there were times when we actually bowled quite well to him and kept him quiet. At other times, he got away from us. So, we'll learn from that. "
The comments highlight the respect Sooryavanshi has earned across the league after a season in which he has emerged as one of the competition's most dangerous young batters.
SRH confident despite knockout pressure
Hyderabad enter the playoffs needing three consecutive victories to claim their second IPL title, having secured a playoff berth for the second time in the last three seasons.
Cummins insisted his side will not abandon the aggressive approach that brought them success throughout the campaign.
"I think you want to keep a lot of things similar to what got you into the finals. But there's also a bit more pressure, a few more nerves, so you want to acknowledge that. "
The SRH captain revealed his mindset for knockout cricket is built around avoiding regrets rather than playing conservatively.
"I always like to think, 'How are you going to look back on that game with no regrets?' So, that's always kind of my mentality going into a final. Instead of being more conservative, try and be even more aggressive. "
Cummins also pointed to SRH's five-match winning streak earlier in the season as proof that a title run remains achievable.
"We have got to win three in a row to win it. We've won more than that throughout the season. We won five in a row at one stage, so it's possible. These are teams that we know quite well. So, yeah, it's not going to be easy, but I feel like we can do it. "
Previous success against Rajasthan offers confidence
Having beaten Rajasthan Royals twice during the league phase, Hyderabad will enter the Eliminator with positive memories from previous meetings.
Cummins, however, stressed that knockout matches start with a clean slate, even if lessons from earlier encounters remain valuable.
"You're obviously starting from scratch again, but you do take learnings from previous games. We've played them twice. We've had a good look at a lot of their players. "
"A lot of our guys can look back at those games where they've had success and lean on that heading into the finals. So, it's always nice coming up against a team that you've had some success against. "
With Sooryavanshi carrying Rajasthan's hopes and Hyderabad already plotting multiple ways to stop him, one of the IPL's most exciting young stars is set for another major examination under playoff pressure
