Pat Cummins played a masterly performance in the IPL 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on Monday (May 5). With a playoff place at stake, Cummins took a gamble by choosing to bowl first after winning the toss and resting veteran pacer Mohammed Shami. The move proved to be a masterstroke.
Taking the new ball himself, Cummins struck immediately. He dismissed Karun Nair for a golden duck on the very first ball of the match. In his second over, he claimed the prized wicket of Faf du Plessis, followed by the dismissal of Abhishek Porel in the third over. Notably, all three wickets came on the first ball of each over, dismantling Delhi’s top order.
First Captain in IPL to Record This Mark
With this blistering spell, Cummins wrote his name in the IPL record books. He is the first captain in the history of the tournament to take three wickets in the powerplay. This was only the seventh time a captain had taken more than one wicket in the first six overs of an IPL match, and Cummins is only the fourth such captain to do that.
Also, his sending off Karun Nair made him the first captain in IPL history to dismiss a batsman on the first ball of the innings.
IPL Captains Taking 2 Or More Wickets In Powerplay
| Player | Team | Opponent | Powerplay Figures | Venue | Year |
| Pat Cummins | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Delhi Capitals | 3/12 | Hyderabad | 2025 |
| Axar Patel | Delhi Capitals | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 2/10 | Delhi | 2025 |
| Zaheer Khan | Delhi Capitals | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2/13 | Delhi | 2017 |
| Shaun Pollock | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2/13 | Kolkata | 2008 |
| Zaheer Khan | Delhi Capitals | Rising Pune Supergiant | 2/14 | Pune | 2017 |
| Zaheer Khan | Delhi Capitals | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2/18 | Delhi | 2016 |
| Zaheer Khan | Delhi Capitals | Rising Pune Supergiant | 2/19 | Delhi | 2017 |
Cummins Joins Elite SRH Club
Cummins concluded with incredible tallies of 3 for 19 for his four-over stint. He became part of an elite list of Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers who have taken a wicket on the first ball of an innings. The others on the list are Jagadeesha Suchith (against RCB, 2022), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (against PBKS, 2023), and Mohammed Shami (against CSK, 2025).
Delhi Capitals Crumble Under Pressure
After Cummins’ initial success, bowlers Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat heaped more agony on Delhi, dismissing Axar Patel and KL Rahul. Delhi were once 29 for 5 at one point before Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, and Ashutosh Sharma led a late fightback to help their team come up with a fighting score.
Cummins’ captaincy and accuracy in a high-pressure match not only improved SRH’s prospects in the tournament but also displayed his potential to perform under pressure.
