IPL 2022: Pat Cummins admits he is surprised by his crazy knock against MI

The cricketing world, especially the Indian Premier League (IPL) fans, was left stunned after Australian pacer Pat Cummins did something magical for former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), not with the ball but with the bat. In Match 14 of the IPL 2022 against record five-time former champion Mumbai Indians (MI) on Wednesday, Cummins hit a 15-ball 56 to see KKR through by five wickets, with four overs to spare, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

It happened to be the joint-fastest half-century in IPL history, off just 14 deliveries, equalling KL Rahul's record from IPL 2018, when the latter did the same, playing for Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Delhi Capitals (DC). On Wednesday, while it looked set for an even-sided contest that could go until the final overs, especially with the batters struggling to get a clean hit on a sluggish track, Cummins made it look so easy, much to the dismay of MI skipper Rohit Sharma. The Australian smashed all the bowlers, including prime pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

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After the game, Cummins admitted that he was surprised by his knock. "I probably think I'm most surprised by that innings. I'm glad that it came off. I was thinking of having a swing if it was in my area. I wasn't trying to overthink it. When I come into bat, it is at the end of the game. So, I have clear thinking to clear the ropes. Whenever I am facing him [Bumrah], I try to hit as hard as possible and fortunately, it came off a few times.," he said.

"I was trying to be the shot player. Venky was out there, and he was batting well. I thought if I could get a few shots and make his job easy at the other end. For the shorter side of the boundary, I try to get across and target that area specifically. All I was trying to do was hit every ball for four or a six," added Cummins.