Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Pat Cummins equaled the record for the fastest fifty ever in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday. He joined KL Rahul, reaching the landmark in only 14 balls during a match against the Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Stadium in Pune.
Cummins scored 35 off compatriot Daniel Sams’ bowling in the 16th over, to take Kolkata over the line with four overs to spare. The Australian Test captain finished with 56 off mere 15 balls, hammering four fours and six sixes.
Cummins joined Venkatesh Iyer at the crease after the dismissal of Andre Russell and showed he meant business straightaway, clubbing Tymal Mills for a six and four off only the second and third deliveries he faced.
Walking into the 16th over, having already scored 22, striking at 275.00, Cummins started with a cracking maximum over long-on. A full toss off the second ball saw Cummins target the midwicket boundary. He hit two more sixes before Sams’ waist-high delivery was adjudged a no-ball. The 28-year-old then bludgeoned a slower ball – the free hit – for four to bring up his fifty.
Cummins, who was adjudged Player of the Match, later said: “I am more surprised (with that innings)! I was not trying to overthink. That’s really satisfying. The ball seems to fly here… So just hitting in the shorter side. We were lucky to keep the core of the squad like last year. Overall pretty happy.”
