Pat Cummins Bowls to Janhvi Kapoor: Viral Event Ends in Broken Phone
Contents
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is known just as much for its off-field entertainment and glamorous brand collaborations as it is for its high-octane cricket. Overseas cricketers arriving in India often find themselves fully immersed in the local pop culture, regularly participating in massive advertising campaigns alongside Bollywood and Tollywood celebrities. We have previously seen former Australian opener David Warner fully embrace the Telugu movie culture, dancing to viral tunes and winning the hearts of Hyderabad fans. Now, it is the turn of current Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Pat Cummins to dive headfirst into this colorful world.
Recently, the world-class Australian fast bowler was spotted at a promotional event alongside popular actress Janhvi Kapoor. The actress has been actively promoting her upcoming Telugu cinematic venture, titled Peddi. With the IPL 2026 season reaching its business end, this unexpected crossover between the World Test Championship-winning captain and the rising Tollywood heroine quickly took social media by storm.
The Shot That Caused ‘Massive Damage’ to a Fan’s Phone
During the promotional campaign, the organizers set up a mini-cricket pitch for a fun face-off. Pat Cummins, who is accustomed to terrorizing the world’s best batters with his lethal pace, took a massive step down in intensity. He was seen bowling gentle underarm deliveries to Janhvi Kapoor.
Janhvi, who had previously trained and practiced various cricket shots for one of her movie roles, looked incredibly comfortable at the crease. As Cummins pitched a soft delivery, the actress danced down the track with perfect footwork and lofted the ball straight back. While it was a beautiful shot, the ball sailed straight into the surrounding crowd of fans and media personnel. Unfortunately for one spectator, the ball made direct contact with their mobile phone, causing instant damage to the device. The hilarious yet costly incident was captured on video and immediately began circulating across various social platforms, leaving fans amused at Janhvi’s unexpected batting power.
The Famous ‘Cold Shoulder’ Viral Moment
The cricket-playing incident was not the only moment from the event that went viral. The promotional campaign, organized by the global sports equipment and apparel brand New Balance, featured a panel discussion and interactive chat with both the actress and the cricketer.
During one particular segment of the chat, a hilarious misunderstanding occurred. Janhvi was seen calling out to Cummins while he was deeply engaged in a conversation with other members on the stage. For a brief, agonizing moment, the Australian skipper did not hear her and completely ignored her, continuing his chat. The clip of Janhvi trying to get his attention while Cummins remained hilariously oblivious quickly turned into a trending meme on social media. Thankfully, the experienced campaigner turned around a moment later and responded politely, putting an end to the brief, awkward silence.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Eyes on the IPL 2026 Playoffs
While Pat Cummins is busy charming fans off the field, his primary focus remains on leading the Sunrisers Hyderabad to IPL glory. Under his astute leadership, Hyderabad has enjoyed a phenomenal run this season. Out of the 13 matches they have played so far, the Orange Army has secured victories in 8 games, comfortably cementing their place in the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Currently sitting third on the points table, SRH is tied on points with the Gujarat Titans. Cummins has led from the front, featuring in six matches this season and picking up eight crucial wickets. Having previously guided the franchise to the IPL final in 2024, the Australian captain is eager to go one step further this time around.
To secure a crucial top-two finish—which grants teams a double chance at reaching the final—Sunrisers Hyderabad will need a decisive victory in their final league match of the season against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). As the tournament transitions into the high-stakes playoffs, fans will be hoping that Cummins can replicate his calm, cool-headed composure on the pitch just as smoothly as he handled his viral off-field Bollywood encounter.