Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Dinesh Karthik has expressed his astonishment over the criticism his premier pacer Pat Cummins is drawing after just one bad performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
See Also: Twitterverse roasts Pat Cummins as he goes for 49 runs in 3 overs as MI make 195/5
Since Cummins was the highest paid overseas recruit at the IPL 2020 auction, he was on spotlight as KKR opened their campaign in the tournament against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (September 23).
However, the Australian speedster failed to live up to the expectations. He conceded 49 runs in 3 overs during KKR’s crushing 49-run defeat.
“It is very unfair to judge him (Cummins) right now. He is just off quarantine, (it is) at 3.30/4.00 PM when he got permission to come and play the match itself. We are just happy to have him and I don’t think this is a game where we need to judge him at all,” Karthik said at the post-match press conference, as quoted by PTI.
“Just the fact that he is a world champion bowler, from whatever I have heard and seen he is one of the best going around in the world. I trust him and I’m sure, he will come good,” he added.
For KKR, Sunil Narine (1/22) and Shivam Mavi (2/32) were the only bowlers who managed to return with respectable figures as the defending champions piled up 195/5 in 20 overs.
Karthik also had special praise reserved for the 21-year-old Mavi, who got the key wickets of Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock.
“Upfront he (Mavi) was very good. The poor guy missed out due to an injury last year and he is looking forward to this competition and he is shaping up well and that’s a good sign for KKR,” the captain said.
During the daunting chase, KKR sent the swashbuckling Andre Russell at No. 6 and Karthik defended the decision, saying it was more to do with keeping a left-right combination going.
“I think it is a strategy because it is done universally only simply because it is not easy for a bowler to bowl consistently to left-hander and a right-hander (and) even if they get their line a little wrong, it could go for runs. Because we have the advantage of doing that, sometimes we tend to do that,” he remarked.
Knight Riders will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next game on September 26.
(With PTI inputs)
