Pat Cummins, KKR and a manic night at Pune

6th April, 2022, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have travelled to Pune to clash swords with the Mumbai Indians – a side they have only defeated seven times in 29 attempts. MI are also trying to resurrect their campaign and are probably chomping at the bit to play KKR, considering the skewed head-to-head record they enjoy against them.

At the start of the game, it feels that KKR aren’t going to let Mumbai dominate this time out. They bowl brilliantly in the power play and salivate at the prospect of Pat Cummins and Umesh Yadav bowling in tandem. But then, MI start to find a foothold in the game.

For the next couple of hours, it seems that MI have the edge over KKR. At one stage, the 2014 IPL champions are tottering at 83/4, having seen the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings and of course, Shreyas Iyer depart.

But KKR do have Andre Russell waiting for his chance – a cricketer, who lest we forget, notched up a dazzling half-century against the Punjab Kings the last time he batted. So, there is hope. Not a lot of it but enough to enable them to dream.

Russell, as he often does, announces himself in style. The second ball he faces is pumped over the bowler’s head. Almost instantly, the few KKR fans who had been sandwiched among a sea of blue, find their voice. With the Jamaican at the crease, it seems nothing can go wrong.

But then, at that exact moment, it breaks. An ugly swipe across the line against Tymal Mills results in a soft dismissal – perhaps even prompting the KKR faithful to turn off their television sets or walk out of the stadium altogether.

For those suggesting this is a knee-jerk reaction, it isn’t. Venkatesh Iyer, who has been one of KKR’s most free-flowing players has not found his groove at all. The pitch is playing all sorts of tricks and in Jasprit Bumrah, MI have arguably the best death-overs bowler on the planet.

What KKR, MI and the rest of the IPL forget to factor in, though, is that Cummins, fresh off a historic tour to Pakistan, can also bat. Over the years, there hasn’t been much made of his batting exploits because, well, he is one of the best fast bowlers in the world. Yet, whenever pressed into action, he has held his own. Not as a genuine batting match-winner but as someone who can lend support when required.

Still, the equation, which reads 61 runs required off 41 balls, seems to be beyond Cummins and KKR under normal circumstances. The only way they can pull this particular victory out of the fire is if something very unusual or manic happens. Or, if Cummins bats out of his skin. And that is exactly what transpires.

Check out who is at the top of the IPL points table 2022 here.

Pat Cummins produced a breathtaking assault at Pune

As soon as the pacer entered the fray at Pune, there was an aura about him. He was still frantically tapping down his bat before the bowler bowled and his arms were still moving in a jab-like motion. But when the ball hit the bat, the outcome almost always seemed inevitable.

It wasn’t as if the Mumbai Indians didn’t try different things. They bowled short but were punished over fine leg. Bumrah bowled a wide yorker but was squeezed past short third man. They tried to cramp him for room but Cummins smashed them into oblivion. And when they bowled in the slot, the Australian made sure that those on the expressway were ducking for cover.

He finished with 4 fours and 6 sixes in a 56-run knock, with only 4 runs not coming via boundaries. Of those four, two came when Suryakumar Yadav miraculously saved a six (off a No Ball) at long off. Hence, it could probably said that everything Cummins touched turned into gold. Or, from a more metaphorical and cricketing perspective, everything he touched disappeared from sight.

This, by the way, was also the joint fastest fifty any batter in the IPL has ever mustered. The IPL began way back in 2008 and has seen the likes of AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, MS Dhoni, Russell, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh ply their trade. The fastest fifty, though, belongs to Cummins. That, apart from illustrating the freakish nature of his knock, is also a timely reminder that nothing can be ruled out in the IPL.

From a slightly more long-term perspective, this Cummins essay could have a positive impact on how KKR approach their matches henceforth. Against MI, they were brave enough to play the extra bowler, and trust Cummins to bat as high as No.7. The move also meant that they didn’t have to rely on Russell bowling his full quota of overs, which considering his fragile body, isn’t the worst decision in the world.

Most tellingly, this knock proved that KKR’s mantra of throwing caution to the wind, irrespective of the situation, can work a charm. Not because the Australian adhered to it and produced one of the greatest onslaughts the IPL has ever seen, but because with Cummins contributing more as a batter, they have incomparable depth.

These things, however, are better left to be discussed on another day. 6th April 2022 will forever belong to Cummins – no matter what happens after it and irrespective of what preceded it. The beauty of it, though, was that it was bizarre and brilliant at the same time.

There was no reason for KKR to outwit MI – they rarely do so anyway. Cummins didn't expect to do what he did. And you can be pretty sure that Cummins didn’t visualize a 14-ball fifty when he woke up. If anything, Russell, whose dismissal brought the Australian to the crease, was expected to cause that sort of destruction.

The only possible explanation then is that it was a manic night at Pune - a night where conventional cricketing logic and wisdom was tested to the hilt. It was also an evening that told you literally anything can happen in this league. There will be countless moments that will make those watching gape in awe, and wonder if it will ever be repeated. This Cummins knock, though, might never be recreated.

MI and the rest of the IPL would certainly hope that that is the case!