Pat Cummins has had a lot going on for him. The Australian quick, ranked World’s No. 1 Test match bowler, came into this season of the IPL fresh from captaining his country to a 1-0 series win in Pakistan after a 4-0 Ashes victory over England and earlier, lifted his first ever T20 World Cup for Australia in October 2021.
"You look at the best players, they can do it in all different conditions. It’s always very satisfying to perform well away from home."
The match hung in balance as Mumbai needed 66 off the last six overs, in their chase of 166, with the well-set Ishan Kishan batting on 51 with Kieron Pollard for company at the other end. An over later, Cummins had all but sealed the game in his side's favour.
A strong bowling performance to defend 165 ensured the Knight Riders stayed in the race for a play-off spot as they registered their fifth win of the season. The win also saw them overtake Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings in the points table to jump to the seventh position.
Finding the best playing XI to yield a favourable run of results will be on both sides’ agenda as the Knight Riders yet again attempt to keep their season alive in what could be Tim Southee's 50th IPL appearance.
Head Coach Brendon McCullum rued the side's continued batting struggles as the Knight Riders hurtled to a 75-run loss against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday (May 7) in Pune, a venue where they hadn't lost a single game on seven occasions.
Andre Russell’s yet another all-round display of 2/22 and a 19-ball 45 went in vain as Kolkata Knight Riders crashed to a 75-run loss.
While both sides have won their sole fixtures in Pune, the Knight Riders can lay claim to calling it their fortress, having not lost any of their seven games at the venue since 2012.
When the devastating impact of Covid-19 was at its peak in April, during the Indian leg of the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders’ all-rounder Pat Cummins pledged to make a contribution worth USD 50,000 to India’s “PM Cares Fund” and UNICEF Australia's India Covid-19 crisis appeal and set an example for his “fellow IPL players”, who were touched by India’s passion and generosity, by making a public appeal to support the country engulfed by the pandemic.
On Monday (May 2), the tide turned for Kolkata Knight Riders with a win over Rajasthan Royals but perhaps not as significantly as it did for Aligarh’s first IPL recruit, Rinku Singh, making his 13th appearance spanning five years.
A free-flowing batter, he has often had to tailor his mindset and technique according to the match situation performing the role of an anchor and an aggressor.
A strong middle-order showing with the bat helped Kolkata Knight Riders snap their five-match winless streak with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede stadium.
“We have to make sure that whatever we do, we do it smarter and try to keep the pressure on Rajasthan.”
Tim Southee has insisted the Knight Riders will look to "make the most" of the upcoming games and "put our best foot forward."
