Karthik slammed critics for coming out hard against Pat Cummins who had a horrendous start to the tournament, leaking 49 runs in just three overs against Mumbai Indians.
Cummins who was the most expensive buy in the IPL 2020 auction held last year in Kolkata as KKR splurged Rs 15.5 crores to snap his services for the 13th edition of the tournament.
Karthik defended his fast bowler's lackluster performance stating that Cummins had received the nod to feature in KKR's IPL 2020 opener against MI only hours before the match. The Australian seamer was in quarantine in Abu Dhabi for 3 days after he had arrived late following the completion of the one day international series between Australia and England.
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"I think it's unfair to judge him right now. He is just off quarantine. Literally, it was 3:30, 4 is when he got permission to come and play the match itself. We are just happy to have him. I don't think this is a game where we need to judge him at all. He is a world champion bowler. He is one of the best going around in the world. I trust him and I am sure he will come good," Karthik said.
Cummins was taken to the cleaners right from his very first over as Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma hit the Australian pacer for two massive sixes at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Cummins looked a bit rusty and struggled with his length amid the soaring heat at Abu Dhabi, bowling a touch too short and giving the MI batsman plenty of time to pull him into the stands with effortless ease.
After getting a hammering from Rohit Sharma in his opening spell, Cummins was again hit for a spree of boundaries in the 15th and the 17th over as Suarabh Tiwary and Hardik Pandya took him on the dying stages of the game.