Cummins shines with the bat but Kolkata lose

Australia quick Pat Cummins has proved again how effective he can be with the bat as he smashed an unbeaten half-century for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Still, the paceman's effort was not enough to stop the Quinton de Kock-inspired Mumbai Indians racing to a comfortable eight-wicket win with 19 balls to spare that puts them back on top of the league.

Dinesh Karthik gave up the Kolkata captaincy to concentrate on his batting but was out for four as his team posted 5-148, a score that was only made respectable thanks to the efforts of Cummins at number seven in the order and England captain Eoin Morgan.

Cummins, who was dropped by De Kock on 36, ended up 53 not out, having cracked five fours and two sixes off 36 balls, while new skipper Morgan made an unbeaten 39. 

Between them, they plundered 87 runs off the last 9.2 overs, especially off fast bowlers Nathan Coulter-Nile and Trent Boult.

Mumbai made light work of the chase, as captain Rohit Sharma late cut the first delivery to the boundary, and fellow opener De Kock finished on 78 not out off 44 balls to get them to 2-149 in the 17th over. It was their fifth straight win.

"It is special to win as comprehensively as this when chasing. It gives us confidence," Sharma said. "Right from ball one we were in their faces."

Sharma hit the first four boundaries for Mumbai then de Kock smacked the next eight boundaries and two sixes.

By the time their partnership was split when Sharma edged behind on 35 in the 11th over, Mumbai's required rate was down to a run a ball.

It was all over three overs later. South African De Kock ended up lashing nine boundaries and pulling three sixes, and Hardik Pandya was 21 not out off 11 balls. Cummins was not so effective with the ball, going for 28 off his three overs.

Kolkata had decided to bat first but quickly struggled. Only five boundaries were hit in the first seven overs.

Rahul Tripathi was out for 7 to a splendid Yadav catch, and Shubman Gill and Karthik were dismissed in consecutive balls by Rahul Chahar to leave them 42-4.

Legspinner Chahar was miserly with figures of 2-18 off his four overs, along with fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who took 1-22.