In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pat Cummins already holds the record for one of the fastest half-centuries, and he has continued to show off his batting prowess in the 2025 campaign. He set the record for the greatest strike rate in an innings by an IPL captain when he hit 18 runs off of only four deliveries against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Hyderabad.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain faced the final two deliveries of the 17th over bowled by Shardul Thakur and played just four deliveries after the sixth wicket fell in the season’s second game.
The sixth ball was short and wide, so he hammered it over the cover point boundary for a huge. The final ball was a complete toss, and Cummins sent it straight back down the ground after clearing his front leg for another maximum.
He confronted Avesh Khan’s second ball in the following over and managed to knock the off-pace delivery that was bowled on a length over the bowler’s head for another six. When he attempted to clear the short third fielder with a well-directed shot, he was removed the very next ball, which was unfortunate for both him and SRH. But he was apprehended.
He became only the fourth batter in the IPL to hit sixes off their first three balls, but he still set another record. In their 20 overs, SRH finished with 190.
Records that Pat Cummins has registered:
In an IPL innings, batters are hitting sixes off their first three balls.
RCB vs. Sunil Narine (KKR), Sharjah, 2021
Hyderabad, 2023: Nicholas Pooran (LSG) vs. SRH
MI vs. MS Dhoni (CSK), Mumbai, 2024
Hyderabad, Pat Cummins (SRH) vs. LSG, 2025*
highest strike rate for a captain in an IPL inning
450: Ravichandran Ashwin (PBKS) against. RR, Mohali, 2019; Pat Cummins (SRH) vs. LSG, Hyderabad, 2025*
400: Chennai, 2023; MS Dhoni (CSK) vs. LSG
Abu Dhabi, 2020; Kieron Pollard (MI) vs. RCB, 400
India
