Pat Cummins, the pacer who took a four-wicket haul which helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeat Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday but subsequently said he didn’t expect to get the wickets like that in the powerplay overs.
Eoin Morgan led from the front scoring an unbeaten 68 and helped KKR post a challenging 191/7 as the skipper scored his first half-century in IPL 2020 – an unbeaten knock included six sixes and five fours.
Pat Cummins On His Bowling Brilliance Against Rajasthan Royals:
Rajasthan Royals, chasing a stiff 192 to win, scored 19 runs off the first over but lost batsman Robin Uthappa who scored 6. In the third over of Rajasthan innings, KKR pacer Pat Cummins made a stunning comeback and dismissed dependable opener Ben Stokes (18) owing to a spectacular catch from wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik and five balls later, Rajasthan skipper Steve Smith (4) too was sent back, which reduced Rajasthan Royals to 32/3.
“A lot goes through your mind. First few balls weren’t great. As long as you go back to bowling your best balls, it’s alright. Top of off is always that area for me, there was a bit early in there with the new ball,” Cummins told the host broadcasters Star Sports at the post-match presentation.
“So, I was trying to get as many in there as I can. Not really, don’t think I expected to get all wickets like that. Some days you bowl well and don’t get luck, some days you get a bit of luck as well,” he added.
A few minutes later, Pat Cummins dismissed Riyan Parag for 0 even though he played 7 balls. As a result, Rajasthan Royals were reeling at 37/5 with Shivam Mavi accounting for Sanju Samson’s wicket. Rajasthan Royals were in a tight corner being reduced to 37/5 in the first 5 overs in Powerplay itself.
Pat Cummins: Everything Fell Into Place Against Rajasthan
Pat Cummins revealed he had put pressure on himself to perform at the start of IPL 2020 and exuded confidence that he has improved as a pacer as the league progressed. Pat Cummins have 29 wickets in 30 IPL matches at an average of 31.31 with 4/34 against Rajasthan in Sunday’s match his best bowling figures. In IPL 2020, he has 12 wickets in 14 matches averaging 34.08 and has also scored 146 runs with the bat averaging 20.86 with 1 fifty.
“Today, everything fell into place. I guess early on in the season, I put a lot of pressure on myself. As the tournament has gone on, I’ve got better and better. You’re always learning,” said the Australian pacer.
With this win, KKR have moved to the fourth spot in the points table with 14 points from 14 matches and are hopeful for a place in playoffs. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals are now out from the contention for a place in playoffs after losing the match against Kolkata. Rajasthan Royals are placed right at the bottom with 12 points from 14 matches.