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Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins announced his arrival tremendously in IPL 2022, starring with ball, and especially with bat in hand, as he produced a remarkable high-impact knock to give the Kolkata Knight Riders an excellent win over the record title-holders Mumbai Indians, who have lost their third consecutive game of the season.
Both sides struggled with the bat initially, as Mumbai posted 161 runs on the board after a horrific start. Tilak Verma and Suryakumar Yadav played excellent knocks before the veteran Kieron Pollard played a fine cameo towards the end. But all their efforts were for nought, as Cummins came in at a crucial juncture for KKR, at a time when it seemed that the game was slipping away from them, to pull it back, as he equalled KL Rahul’s record for the fastest half-century in the tournament’s history to take his side home by a huge margin.
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer decided to go with the norm of bowling first after winning the toss at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. There were changes for both sides, as Suryakumar Yadav replaced Anmolpreet Singh while Tim Southee made way for Pat Cummins.
It was just not Rohit Sharma’s day, as the veteran was unable to get his rhythm right, falling for a 12-ball three. Ishan Kishan also struggled at the other end, as he too found it far too difficult to get the ball away to the fence. The South African youngster Dewald Brevis was the only bright spot for the Indians in the first ten overs, as he scored a few boundaries before his eventual dismissal for 29.
Suryakumar Yadav and Verma shone brightly for MI as they slowly but surely built up a platform after the fall of wickets in the first half of the innings. The Mumbai score had reached a modest 85/3 at the end of 15 overs, which was when the acceleration began. Both Yadav and Verma struck the ball superbly before Yadav reached a well-deserved half-century on his return, shortly before he was dismissed. Pollard came in towards the end and struck three sixes as the Mumbai Indians finished on 161/5 at the end of 20 overs.
Indian Premier League 2022: top 5 run-scorers
| Name | INN | Runs | SR |
| Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals) | 3 | 205 | 143.35 |
| Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians) | 3 | 149 | 133.03 |
| Faf du Plessis (Royal Challengers Bangalore) | 3 | 122 | 150.61 |
| Tilak Varma (Mumbai Indians) | 3 | 121 | 161.33 |
| Deepak Hooda (Lucknow Super Giants) | 3 | 119 | 145.12 |
Kolkata also got off to a slow start in pursuit of 162, as Ajinkya Rahane tried to cut loose, and ended up being dismissed by Tymal Mills. Shreyas Iyer looked in fabulous form, as he struck two boundaries early on but failed to make it big, losing his wicket for just 10.
Venkatesh Iyer was the glue that held the Knight Riders’ innings together, patiently compiling an excellent knock, in a high-pressure situation, with pressure on him. Sam Billings also got off to a start, and so did Andre Russell, but none of them were able to make it big.
Nitish Rana also fell prey to Murugan Ashwin after scoring an early six before Cummins entered the middle. Iyer was approaching his fifty by the time the Australian joined him, after which Venkatesh took the backseat completely.
It was at a point where, after Russell’s dismissal it looked as if Kolkata would crumble. Cummins, however, handled the pressure beautifully as he launched into an attack against the Mumbai bowlers. He continued his excellent record against Jasprit Bumrah, upping his career strike rate against the pacer to nearly 185.
With 36 needed off the last five overs, Sharma tossed the ball to Daniel Sams. Cummins pulverised Sams on each and every single ball of the over, scoring a whopping 35 runs in the over, including four sixes and two boundaries, to seal a historic win for his side. Cummins’ heroics meant that KKR finished off the game with four overs to spare, giving their net run-rate a huge boost.
Brief scores
Kolkata Knight Riders 162/5 (Cummins 56*; Iyer 50; Ashwin 2/25) beat Mumbai Indians 161/4( Suryakumar 52; Tilak Verma 38*; Cummins 2/49) by five wickets.
