New Delhi: Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins made IPL history during a crucial match against Delhi Capitals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on May 5, 2025. In a do-or-die clash for SRH, Cummins led from the front, producing a remarkable spell with the new ball that saw him achieve a feat never done before in the tournament’s 17-year history.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, Cummins made a bold call by dropping seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami. The decision paid off instantly as the Australian speedster dismissed Karun Nair on the very first ball of the match. He followed it up with the wickets of Faf du Plessis in the second over and Abishek Porel in the third—each on the first delivery of his respective over.
With these three early breakthroughs, Cummins became the first captain in IPL history to take three wickets in the powerplay. His precise and aggressive bowling rattled Delhi Capitals’ top order, leaving them reeling at 29 for 5 within seven overs. Cummins’ final figures read an impressive 3 for 19 from four overs.
This performance marked the seventh instance of an IPL captain taking two or more wickets in the powerplay, but Cummins is now part of a more elite list—just the fourth captain ever to do so. Others include Axar Patel (DC, 2025), Zaheer Khan (multiple times for DC), and Shaun Pollock (MI, 2008).
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 |
In addition to his powerplay heroics, Cummins also became just the fourth SRH bowler to take a wicket on the first ball of an IPL matchJoining the Likes of Jagadeesha Suchith, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Mohammed Shami.
Despite Delhi eventually crawling to 133 after a brief recovery, the match was unfortunately abandoned due to persistent rain, knocking SRH out of the playoff race. However, Cummins’ historic spell will remain one of the standout moments of IPL 2025, reinforcing his reputation as one of the game’s smartest and most impactful leaders.
