On May 5, 2025, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins made IPL history, becoming the first-ever captain to take three wickets in the powerplay. His sensational spell against Delhi Capitals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium left fans and experts in awe. With precise execution and relentless aggression, Cummins dismantled DC’s top order in the first six overs, marking one of the finest powerplay bowling performances in IPL history.
Pat Cummins’ Spell of Magic
Pat Cummins made a captain’s call—choosing to bowl first after winning the toss. The very first delivery of the match saw Karun Nair chase a good-length ball outside off, tempting but lethal. He nicked it behind, and Ishan Kishan made no mistake. One ball in, one wicket down.
In Cummins’ second over, déjà vu struck. Du Plessis, looking to assert dominance, went cross-batted to a fuller delivery. Another thin edge, another safe pair of hands from Kishan. Cummins was on fire, mixing his lengths, teasing the batters, and exploiting their eagerness.
Six balls later, the third act of the drama unfolded. A heavy ball on middle and leg, Porel tried to flick it off his hips. Wrong shot, wrong ball. A leading edge ballooned up, and once again, Kishan was there to swallow it. Three balls, three overs, three wickets—all caught by the same man.
Historical Context
Captains taking two wickets in the powerplay had been a rarity, seen only six times before. Zaheer Khan held the bulk of those records. Earlier this season, Axar Patel’s 2/10 was seen as a standout performance.
Captains with 2-plus wickets in Overs 1-6 of an IPL innings
3/12 – Pat Cummins (SRH) vs DC, Hyderabad, 2025
2/10 – Axar Patel (DC) vs RCB, Delhi, 2025
2/13 – Zaheer Khan (DC) vs KKR, Delhi, 2017
2/13 – Shaun Pollock (MI) vs KKR, Kolkata, 2008
2/14 – Zaheer Khan (DC) vs RPS, Pune, 2017
Delhi Capitals’ Batting Collapse
KL Rahul edged one off Unadkat, and Axar Patel fell prey to Harshal Patel. Vipraj Nigam’s suicidal call for a run led to Tristan Stubbs’ runout. It was chaos, and SRH capitalized fully.
A Glimmer of Resistance
Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs fought back with a gritty 66-run stand. Ashutosh made 41 from 26, while Stubbs remained unbeaten on 41 from 36. Their partnership gave DC some hope and dragged the score to 133/7.
Fan and Expert Reactions
Social media erupted as fans flooded Twitter with trending hashtags, memes, and analysis clips celebrating the historic spell. Former players hailed it as a masterclass in powerplay bowling, with some even calling it the best display of pace and swing on an Indian pitch this season.
Pat Cummins 🗿
1 st over 1 st ball wicket
2 nd over 1 st ball wicket
3 rd over 1 st ball wicket 🔥🦅pic.twitter.com/iFoX8Z8oCv— Chakri Goud 🧡🦅 (@Chakrigoud2211) May 5, 2025
Pat Cummins remembering he is The Pat Cummins pic.twitter.com/sQcxMqns9k
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) May 5, 2025
Never ever underestimate Captain Pat Cummins. pic.twitter.com/jhwuzm6QSm
— R🌻 (@EntropyPositive) May 5, 2025
Pat Cummins 🔥👑 pic.twitter.com/y2lyMstdgq
— v. Jatin (@JatinTweets_) May 5, 2025
When Pat Cummins brings out his Aussie mentality on field but your team is already out of the Tournament 💔 pic.twitter.com/YgODTP7kUw
— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) May 5, 2025
Pat Cummins pulled off a First-Ball Freak Show!
• First ball of 1st over – Wicket
• First ball of 2nd over – Wicket
• First ball of 3rd over – Wicket
And guess what? Ishan Kishan caught ’em all like it’s a highlight reel on repeat!#PatCummins #SRHvsDC #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/4Pb6giheg2— Ganesh 🇮🇳 (@GaneshVerse) May 5, 2025
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