“One of the best in the business,” said Ravi Shastri while commentating on Pat Cummins’ superb spell. Cummins unleashed a a masterclass in new-ball bowling that dismantled Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, silencing the visitors in a sensational fashion.
With the new ball in hand—only for the second time this season—the SRH skipper made an instant impact, picking a wicket off the very first ball of each of his first three overs. His relentless accuracy and subtle seam movement left Delhi reeling in the powerplay.
How Pat Cummins stunned DC
It all began with the very first delivery of the match. Karun Nair, surprisingly playing as an opener, was drawn into a loose poke outside off as Cummins hit a good length and extracted a hint of away movement. Ishan Kishan, keeping in place of Heinrich Klaasen, pouched it safely behind the stumps. In Cummins’ next over, Faf du Plessis tried to manufacture something out of nothing. Attempting a slog across the line to a hard length ball, he only managed a thin edge to Kishan again.
If those two weren’t enough, Abishek Porel became the third consecutive victim off the first ball of a Cummins over. Looking to clip one off his pads, he misjudged the line and skewed it high off the leading edge. Kishan sprinted towards square-leg and judged the swirling skier perfectly, completing a remarkable catch.
Captains with 2-plus wickets in powerplay of an IPL innings
| Captains | Figures | Match | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | 3/12 | SRH vs DC, Hyderabad | 2025 |
| Axar Patel | 2/10 | DC vs RCB, Delhi | 2025 |
| Zaheer Khan | 2/13 | DC vs KKR, Delhi | 2017 |
| Shaun Pollock | 2/13 | MI vs KKR, Kolkata | 2008 |
| Zaheer Khan | 2/14 | DC vs RPS, Pune | 2017 |
| Zaheer Khan | 2/18 | DC vs KKR, Delhi | 2016 |
| Zaheer Khan | 2/19 | DC vs RPS, Pune | 2017 |
Cummins finished his spell inside the Powerplay with stunning figures of 3/12, all while rattling Delhi’s top order. The Capitals crumbled to 26/4 inside six overs, unable to recover from the early damage. KL Rahul, DC’s last hope for consolidation, was also dismissed shortly after for 10, reducing them to 29/5. It was a horror show for Delhi and a captain’s spell for the ages from Pat Cummins.
