"If Iyer didn't have Pat Cummins at the other end, KKR might not have won" - Wasim Jaffer
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer feels that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would have found it difficult to beat the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Wednesday had Pat Cummins not smashed a record-equalling fastest IPL fifty.
Jaffer pointed out that although Venkatesh Iyer scored a half-century, he was not timing the ball well. With the match hanging in the balance, Cummins came in and hammered an unbeaten 56 off 15 balls as Kolkata won with four overs to spare.
Describing Cummins’ innings as "outstanding," the former cricketer said during a discussion on ESPNCricinfo:
“Somebody coming in at No.7 and then playing an innings like that, really outstanding.” He added, “Venkatesh Iyer was finding it hard to time the ball even though he got fifty. If Iyer didn’t have Pat Cummins at the other end, KKR might not have won.”
While Cummins smacked four fours and six sixes during his innings, Iyer was unbeaten on 50 off 41 balls. The Australian batter’s innings was a brave one as KKR only had Sunil Narine and the bowlers to follow.
Analyzing his approach, Jaffer said that the Aussie backed his big-hitting skills and the surface. He elaborated:
“He probably felt that the wicket was good enough for him to trust his striking and he hit some big sixes. Once he hit Bumrah (for a couple of boundaries), everything else was pretty easy. He completely finished (Daniel) Sams off in an over.”
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KKR needed 61 off 41 when Cummins came into bat. The Australian all-rounder walloped Sams for four sixes and two fours in the 16th over as Kolkata registered a comprehensive win.
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“He would have been under a lot of pressure” - Chris Lynn on Pat Cummins captaining Australia
Aussie batter Chris Lynn felt that Cummins’ innings on Wednesday was like a pressure reliever for him after having led the Test squad in recent times.
Sharing his views during the discussion, the 31-year-old opined:
“He would have been under a lot of pressure over the last couple of months being the Aussie Test skipper. For him to go out there and play the game, it’s like a little kid growing up in the backyard without pressure and a smile on the face.”
Lynn added that Cummins’ batting is something that isn’t talked about enough. He commented:
“The way he struck the ball tonight (Wednesday) was outstanding. If he doesn’t do well with the ball, he makes up for it with the bat. He just adds another dimension to the KKR batting line-up.”
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@iamsrk #KKRHaiTaiyaar #KKRvMI #IPL2022 https://t.co/Lzzoz3Euwz
Before his batting exploits, the 28-year-old claimed a couple of key MI wickets, dismissing Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. He was a bit expensive, though, conceding 49 runs in his four overs.