IPL 2022, MI vs KKR, Match Highlights: Pat Cummins cracker blasts out Mumbai Indians | Cricket News
MI skipper Rohit Sharma must be wondering what went wrong after staying on course for their first victory in this IPL till a better part of the match. The skipper had his plan ready to stop KKR dangerman Andre Russell and MI managed to get the West Indian out cheaply too. But very few had thought of Cummins to come out in flying colours with the bat in his first match in this IPL season.
The Australian Test skipper displayed amazing power-hitting to bring up the joint-quickest 50 of the IPL, off just 14 balls. He hit four sixes, two fours and a two to collect 35 runs off the 16th over bowled by Daniel Sams to take the side home with 24 balls remaining. Lokesh Rahul had also taken 14 balls for his fifty for Punjab against Delhi in Mohali on April 8, 2018.
Opener Ventakesh Iyer played a good supporting role, staying unbeaten on 50 off 41 balls. However, KKR looked down the barrel at one stage as MI bowlers struck at regular intervals till Cummins decided to take control of matters.
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer’s faith in his bowling unit came to the fore when he went against the trend of batting first at the MCA Stadium. In both the previous two ties at this venue, the side putting up a score had won. In the end he was able to change the statistics too.
The KKR bowlers began well, making things difficult for the MI batters initially till Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma played out an 83-run fourth-wicket stand to get the side to a fighting 161/4.
A catch up with the Knights of the night! 💜@patcummins30 @venkateshiyer #KKRHaiTaiyaar #KKRvMI #IPL2022 https://t.co/9TILSEq4hu
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) 1649277294000
MI, who had huffed and puffed to 54 for two in the first 10 overs, collected 76 runs in the last five in spite of KKR giving away just three extras.
If Umesh Yadav was disappointed not to pick up a wicket in his first over, like he had done in the last three matches, he made amends in his next over by ending MI skipper Rohit Sharma’s scratchy 12-ball three-run innings. The opener top-edged a short one and wicketkeeper Sam Billings took a skier running back.
Debutant South African U-19 World Cup highest run-getter Dewald Brevis, who replaced Anmolpreet Singh, played an entertaining innings 19-ball 29.
Umesh could have picked up Verma in his last over but Ajinkya Rahane floored it, going for one that could have been better left to the wicketkeeper. The youngster took full advantage as he started finding the much-needed boundaries at the backend of the innings to lift the side.
However, it was Suryakumar who immediately made an impact on his return from injury. The former Knight opened the floodgates by hitting a boundary after six overs and followed it up with a six over third man in Umesh’s last ball of his spell. The middle-order batter did enough damage before falling in the last over of the innings for a superb 52 off 36 balls.