Pat Cummins played one of the most amazing knocks in T20 cricket as he blasted the Kolkata Knight Riders to a stunning five wicket victory against the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday.
Cummins played a whirlwind innings of 56 not out from just 15 balls, hitting six sixes and four fours to leave everyone watching the game at the stadium and on television spellbound.
He also etched his name in the IPL record books as he raced to his half-century from just 14 balls, equalling the record for the fastest fifty in IPL history set by K L Rahul in 2018.
The match was evenly poised with 61 needed from 41 balls when Cummins walked out to the middle.
Playing his first match of IPL 2022, the Australian Test captain took no time to get going. He flicked the second ball he faced for a six over square leg off Tymal Mills, followed by a boundary.
Cummins then swung a full delivery from Jasprit Bumrah over midwicket for a six and then steered a wide yorker for a four past short third man.
Mumbai Indians were still in the hunt with 35 needed from five overs, but there was no stopping Cummins.
The KKR all-rounder finished off the match in a single over as he hit the hapless Daniel Sams for four sixes and two fours in the 16th over.
Cummins was, in fact, brilliantly caught by Suryakumar Yadav off Sams in the over, but it was ruled a no-ball for a high full toss. The Australian hit the next two balls from his fellow Aussie for a four and six to end the match in grand style with four overs left.
A stunned MI Captain Rohit Sharma admitted at the end: 'This will be hard to digest, the way it turned out in the last few overs.'
Cummins also took two vital wickets, dismissing Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Kieron Pollard hit him for three sixes in the final over, but it was the Australian who had the last laugh.
