IPL 2022: Pat Cummins scores joint-fastest fifty in IPL history

Bengaluru, April 6: Australia's Test captain Pat Cummins scored a brilliant 14-ball fifty to draw level with KL Rahul for the joint-fastest fifty in Indian Premier League (IPL) history as Kolkata Knight Riders stunned Mumbai Indians by five wickets in Match 14 on Wednesday (April 6) night.

Cummins remained unbeaten on 56 from just 15 balls, an innings laced with four hits to the ropes and six over it, as KKR condemned MI to their third successive defeat of IPL 2022 season.

The Aussie fast bowler was playing his first match of IPL 2022 season after having joined the Kolkata-based franchise just recently following a successful tour of Pakistan where they won the three-match Test series 1-0 under his captaincy.

Cummins joined opener Venkatesh Iyer at the crease after the dismissal of big-hitting West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell and proved his intentions very clearly.

It was unbelievable stuff from Cummins as KKR, needing 35 from 30 balls, got them all in just six deliveries with the Aussie hitting six sixes and four boundaries in his 15-ball 56.

Daniel Sams bore the brunt of Cummins' onslaught the most, conceding 35 runs in the 16th over, which sealed it for KKR.

Together with Iyer, Cummins, who came in at number six, shared 61 runs in just 2.1 overs to overhaul MI's total of 161 for four.

The KKR chase was derailed initially by the loss of Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Shreyas Iyer as they slumped to 35 for two in the sixth over. Sam Billings made 17 off 12 balls before he dismissed by Murugam Ashwin. Vaenkatesh Iyer, on the other hand, went about his business in his own way and kept the scoreboard ticking and with Cummins joining him, the complexion of the game changed.

Earlier, put into bat at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune, the returning Suryakumar Yadav smashed 52 off 36 balls to power Mumbai Indians to what looked a decent total of 161 for four.

Seasoned pro Kieron Pollard complemented Yadav's brisk half-century by amassing 23 runs in the final over.

After an 83-run fourth-wicket stand between Yadav (52) and Tilak Varma (38 not out), Pollard (22 not out) smashed the world's premier fast bowler Cummins for three sixes to end MI's innings on a high.

Opting to bowl first on a fresh pitch with plenty of grass, KKR's opening bowlers used the conditions to perfection as pacer Umesh Yadav (1/25) and debutant Rasikh Salam (0/18) relied on back of length deliveries to trouble MI's opening duo of skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan.

At 101 for five in the 14th over, KKR were staring at defeat, before Cummins joined Iyer and took the match away from the grip of the five-time champions.

Cummins and Iyer were so dominant that the KKR duo pumelled MI bowlers into submission with their brutal attack and chased down the target with four overs to spare!

IPL POINTS TABLE | RESULTS/FIXTURES

Iyer remained unbeaten on 50 from 41 balls in a matured innings that included six boundaries and one sixer.

MI next takes on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the same venue on Saturday (April 9) while KKR locks horns with Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, a day later.