IPL 2020: Yuvraj Singh heaps praise on Pat Cummins after he concedes only 19 runs against SRH

Australia speedster Pat Cummins was the highlight of IPL 2020 auction. 27-year-old Cummins, who had a base price of INR 2 crore, was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping INR 15.5 crore.

After being sold to the Dinesh Karthik-led side for a staggering amount, Cummins surpassed England all-rounder Ben Stokes to become the most expensive overseas buy. Stokes was bought for Rs. 14.5 crore in 2017 by Rising Pune Supergiant.

Considering his hefty price tag, Cummins was expected to wreak havoc on the batting opposition with his blistering pace. However, Cummins’ first outing of IPL 2020 was rather a woeful one. He failed to live up to the expectations in the first game as he conceded 49 runs in 3 overs during KKR’s 49-run drubbing against defending champions Mumbai Indians.

However, Cummins bounced back and proved his worth in his next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Along with scalping the prized wicket of an in-form Jonny Bairstow, Cummins leaked a meagre 11 from his first three overs. Economical Cummins registered impressive figures of 1/19 in his four overs’ spell, winning laurels from many fans who were questioning his worth after the first game.

Pat Cummins created pressure on SRH batsmen: Yuvraj Singh

Apart from Cummins, other KKR bowlers such as Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine also bowled an impressive spell to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to a modest 142-run total. In reply, KKR, led by the batting brilliance of youngster Shubman Gill, hunted down the target with two overs to spare. Man of the Match Gill remained unbeaten on 70 as KKR registered the first victory of their IPL 2020 campaign.

Twitter, in no time, was flooded with accolades for 21-year-old Gill’s stellar batting show. But former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh showered praise on Pat Cummins instead. Lauding the Australian quick for his ‘comeback’, Yuvraj pointed out how Cummins changed his line and length after his poor outing against MI.

“Great come back by @patcummins30! I think great learning for young fast bowlers after getting hit in the first game how quickly he has corrected his lengths and created pressure on SRH batsmen! Hallmark of a quality bowler,” tweeted Yuvraj.

With their comprehensive seven-wicket triumph over Sunrisers Hyderabad, KKR clinched first two points of their IPL 2020 journey. The Dinesh Karthik-led side is currently sitting on the fifth position in the points table, having registered a victory and a loss in their first two games. KKR are next slated to lock horns with Rajasthan Royals on 30th September at the Dubai International Stadium.