Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik finds it extremely "unfair" that his premier pacer Pat Cummins is being criticised after just one bad performance in IPL 2020.

Cummins, who only completed his mandatory quarantine two hours prior to the match, conceded 49 runs in three wicketless overs. Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians captain, was particularly severe on the Australia pacer as Mumbai posted 195 in his team's 49-run victory.

"It is very unfair to judge him (Cummins) right now," Karthik said on Wednesday night. "He is just off quarantine, he got permission to come and play the match itself at 3.30-4pm. We are just happy to have him and I don't think this is a game where we need to judge him at all."

Karthik termed Cummins a "champion bowler" who will come good during the season. "Just the fact that he is a world champion bowler, from whatever I have heard and seen he is one of the best going around in the world," he said. "I trust him and I'm sure, he will come good."

The best bowler for Knight Riders was young Shivam Mavi, who is returning to top-flight cricket from a stress fracture. The Uttar Pradesh fast bowler picked up the wickets of Rohit and Quinton de Kock, finishing with 2 for 32 in his four overs. These were the most economical figures among those who completed their full quota for the Knight Riders.

"Upfront he (Mavi) was very good," Karthik said. The poor guy missed out due to an injury last year and he is looking forward to this competition and he is shaping up well and that's a good sign for KKR."

Karthik also said the decision to have Andre Russell come in at No. 6 was strategic. When Russell walked in to bat in the 12th over, Knight Riders needed 118 off 50 balls.

"I think it is a strategy because it is done universally, because it is not easy for a bowler to bowl consistently to left-hander and a right-hander," he said. "Even if they get their line a little wrong, it could go for runs. Because we have the advantage of doing that, sometimes we tend to do that."