Match 14 of the 2022 IPL saw one of the most astonishing knocks in the history of the tournament. After putting up 161 on the board on a tricky surface, MI were ahead in the game when Andre Russell got out. KKR still needed 61 runs off 41 balls, and with no specialist batter to come, it all depended on the set Venkatesh Iyer. However, no one expected Pat Cummins to smash the joint-fastest fifty in IPL’s history. Let’s look at some of the key moments from the game.
Rohit Sharma’s Powerplay struggles
Rohit Sharma had a bad day at the office. Apart from his team being on the receiving end of one of the best knocks in IPL, Sharma himself struggled in his batting. The MI opener scored three runs but took 12 balls for that before mistiming his pull shot yet again.
Rohit Sharma doesn’t play with one set template. Whether he takes on the bowlers right from the start or takes his time to settle before going on the attack depends a lot on the quality of the bowlers. However, Sharma usually likes to assess the pitch before deciding on his best gear for batting.
This method usually works for him when he continues to play beyond the Powerplay. However, if he doesn’t, his slow start can cost his team, as it probably did against the Knight Riders. Before this season, Sharma had a strike rate of 130.37 in IPL, with a dot ball percentage of 36.2%. But while batting in Powerplay, his slow starts are evident from his numbers – strike rate of 116.5 with 49.83% dot balls.
Rohit Sharma’s use of bowlers
For any team that plays against KKR, the main threat is always Andre Russell, especially when KKR are chasing. 161 wasn’t a big score, but it was par on a surface that was tricky for batting. It was important for Rohit Sharma’s MI to not only take early wickets, but plan for the end stages of the innings to counter Russell.
MI’s two best bowlers this season are Jasprit Bumrah and Tymal Mills. And with their experience and ability, they were the most likely bowlers to contain Russell. Both bowlers bowled just an over each in the Powerplay. With Ajinkya Rahane falling off the last ball of the Powerplay, Sharma smartly got an over from Tilak Varma, utilizing his bowling options and preserving his two strike bowlers.
Bumrah came on as soon as Russell arrived but was hit for 12 runs. Mills was next, and he took out Russell off the first ball he bowled at him. Sharma’s planning for the Russell challenge was spot on. A few people might feel that Bumrah should have bowled one more over early in the innings to prize out a wicket, but hindsight is a wonderful gift.
Cummins’ extraordinary assault
Basil Thampi, Jasprti Bumrah, and Tymal Mills were exceptional for MI till Russell got out. MI would’ve been confident of closing out the game with overs remaining from all these three bowlers. However, Pat Cummins had other plans.
Cummins’ knock wasn’t just a wild slog-fest. He looked the most assured KKR batter, especially against pace bowling and was the least-troubled batter. Venkatesh Iyer, who played 41 balls for his 50, had a control percentage of just 56%. Suryakumar Yadav, the best batter in MI’s lineup, who scored a brilliant 52 off 36, was in control of 64% of the balls. Cummins had a control percentage of a whopping 87%, to go with a strike rate of 373.33.