Australian smashes joint-fastest 50 as KKR crushes MI

PUNE: Cummins (56 not out off 15 balls, 4 fours, 6 sixes) was at his mercurial best in his first outing this season for Kolkata, which registered its third victory of IPL 2022. Meanwhile, five-time champion Mumbai succumbed to its third successive defeat in the 15th edition of the League.

Chasing 162 to move to the top of the table, KKR was 101 for five in the 14th over, a stage where MI looked to be in the match. But, Cummins single-handedly took the game away from Mumbai by completing his fifty off just 14 deliveries. He blasted fellow Australian Daniel Sams (1/50) for 34 runs in the 16th over to take his team home.

Opener Venkatesh Iyer also dazzled for Knight Riders with an unbeaten 50 (41 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) and shared 61 runs with Cummins for the unbroken sixth wicket.

In the first essay, Kieron Pollard complemented Suryakumar Yadav’s brisk fifty by amassing 23 runs off the final over as Mumbai put 161 for four following a final flourish.

After an 83-run fourth-wicket stand between Suryakumar (52 off 36 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) and youngster Tilak Varma (38 not out off 27 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes), Pollard (22 not out off 5 balls, 3 sixes) smashed Cummins for three maximums to end the innings on a high.

The Kolkata opening bowlers – Umesh Yadav and Rasikh Salam (0/18) – used the conditions to perfection and troubled the Mumbai opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. While Rohit’s (3 off 12 balls) painful stay was brought to an end by Umesh (1/25), Kishan (14 off 21 balls, 1 four) was sent back to the hut by Cummins (2/49).

South African youngster Dewald Brewis, who was drafted into the eleven in place of Tim David, struck a 19-ball 29 (2 fours, 2 sixes) but fell to Varun Chakravarthy (1/32). After tottering at 55 for three in the 11th over, Mumbai managed a final flourish, thanks to the trio of Suryakumar, Tilak and Pollard.

BRIEF SCORES: Mumbai Indians 161/4 in 20 overs (Suryakumar 52, Tilak 38*, P Cummins 2/49) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 162/5 in 16 overs (P Cummins 56*, Venkatesh 50*)