During the IPL 2026 Eliminator warm-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins had a viral moment with AI robot dog Champak, asking for the “unwanted distraction” to be removed ahead of their clash with Rajasthan Royals. SRH later lost by 47 runs, ending their season in the tournament.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins encountered an unexpected and high-tech distraction during his warm-up session ahead of the IPL 2026 Eliminator against the Rajasthan Royals at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday, May 27.
SRH’s campaign in the IPL 2026 came to an end following a 47-run defeat to RR in the Eliminator. With a mammoth 244-run target, the Sunrisers were bundled out for 196 in 19.2 overs. Ishan Kishan (33), Nitish Kumar Reddy (38), and Salil Arora (35) were the only batters who managed to register 30 or more runs, while the rest of the line-up failed to offer any substantial resistance.
For RR, Jofra Archer led the bowling attack with a spell of 3/58 at an economy rate of 14.50 in four overs. Nandra Burger (2/26), Sushant Mishra (2/21), and Ravindra Jadeja (2/21) picked up two wickets each, completing a dominant team performance that stifled the Sunrisers’ chase and propelled the Royals into the Qualifier 2.
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Pat Cummins’ Stand-Off with Robot Dog Goes Viral
As Sunrisers Hyderabad lost to the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator, a bizarre and hilarious moment from the pre-match warm-ups emerged as a major talking point on social media. The SRH captain Pat Cummins found himself face-to-face with the IPL’s famous AI-powered robotic camera dog, Champak.
In a video that went viral on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), Cummins was seen doing his warm-up in his usual focused manner when the high-tech dog trotted onto the field. As the Australian pacer was running his drills, he suddenly noticed the Champak, which was simply operating a little too close to his training space to capture broadcast footage.
Finding the mechanical intruder an unwanted distraction, as he kept his focus on the warm-up as well as the Eliminator against the RR, Cummins gestured to the operator with his hand to take the robotic dog away and reportedly said, ‘Remove this from here.’
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The AI robot dog was first introduced to the IPL in 2025 and quickly became a viral sensation. The robotic canine, equipped with a micro-gimbal camera, microphone, and voice-recognition capabilities, was brought in by the BCCI in partnership with wOmnicam to provide a unique ‘dog’s-eye view’ of the action.
Robot Dog will go deep into the players’ training sessions, dugout, and team huddles to capture exclusive, candid moments that traditional camera operators simply cannot access.
How Did SRH Perform in IPL 2026?
Sunrisers Hyderabad had a great campaign in the IPL 2026, despite having faced an abrupt end to their journey in the Eliminator against the Rajasthan Royals. The first half of the season was captained by Ishan Kishan before Pat Cummins, who took over the leadership role to guide the team through the latter stages and the playoff push.
Under the captaincy of Ishan, Sunrisers won four matches in seven outings, accumulating 8 points and having a net run rate (NRR) of +0.254. After Cummins resumed their leadership duties, the IPL 2016 champions won five games in the next seven outings, finishing third in the league stage with 16 points and having a NRR of +0.524.
Sunrisers Hyderabad were unable to carry their late-season momentum into the playoffs, ultimately bowing out of the tournament after their loss to the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. Since winning their IPL triumph in 2026, SSRH has continued to be a competitive force in the league, though they were unable to add a second title to their trophy cabinet during this 2026 campaign.
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