Pat Cummins has said the wins against Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab, which Kolkata Knight Riders won from a position of defeat, show that the two-time champions are a good side. The Australian pacer has said that the team is looking to peak at the right time but they have not had a game where they have dominated.
Kolkata Knight Riders have endured a mixed campaign in IPL 2020 with four wins and three defeats in seven matches. Currently, the two-time IPL champions are in fourth spot and they are currently in a tough situation. The 82-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah has put them low on confidence while their next match against four-time champions Mumbai Indians will not be easy, considering they have lost 20 out of 26 IPL encounters in the 12-year history of the tournament. In other words, Kolkata Knight Riders face a tricky task in maintaining their momentum.
However, Pat Cummins, the most expensive foreign buy in the history of the IPL, has said Kolkata Knight Riders are still a very good team and that they are looking to peak at the right time. Speaking just before the match, Pat Cummins, who was bought for Rs 15.5 crore in the IPL 2020 auction, has cited the example of the wins against Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab as proof that the side is great.
“I do not think we have played our best cricket yet. We have not played a complete game where we have blown the opposition out of the water. The really good sign was the games against Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. We had no right to win those games. We still won and that is a sign that we are a good side. We can win from any position. We do not want to peak early before the finals,” Cummins added.
In the game against Chennai Super Kings, Rahul Tripathi blasted 81 and helped Kolkata Knight Riders reach 167/5. In response, Chennai Super Kings started aggressively but they managed only 39 runs in seven overs. With 39 runs needed off three overs, Chennai Super Kings could not finish the game and they lost by 10 runs. Against Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders were down and out when KL Rahul’s fifty got KXIP to 22 runs off 18 balls in their chase of 165 with nine wickets in hand.
However, Kings XI Punjab spectacularly imploded as they conceded just eight runs in two overs and Sunil Narine defended 14 runs in the final over as Glenn Maxwell’s attempted six fell inches short as they won by two runs.
‘Happy with rhythm’
After a torrid start in the game against Mumbai Indians where Pat Cummins was smashed for 49 runs in three overs, there was intense criticism of the Australian pacer. Pat Cummins had gone into extended quarantine for six days after the end of the series in England. Following the debacle against Mumbai Indians, Cummins has averaged a poor 111 and has taken only two wickets at an economy rate of 8.53. Cummins admitted that this was one area that he needed to focus.
“I have been feeling that I am actually bowling well. I feel I am in rhythm. I would love to get a few more wickets, strike regularly in the powerplay and try to create chances,” Cummins said.
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 "Pat Cummins, Cummins, IPL 2020, Dream11 IPL, KKR, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), MI vs KKR, MI v KKR, KK IPL")
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