IPL 2020, Match 31, Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Kings XI Punjab won by 8 wickets
Thursday, Oct 15, 2020, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
A sigh of relief than elation for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in their victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by a margin of 8 wickets in Sharjah. There were too many twists in this match! The equation for Punjab was 7 runs needed off 12 deliveries with KL Rahul and Chris Gayle at the crease and it came down to ' 1 run needed off 1 ball' in the end. However, KXIP got over the line with Nicholas Pooran hitting a six off the final delivery!
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| Image Source: IPL / BCCI |
Royal Challengers Bangalore made many strategical mistakes in this game courtesy of which they lost the game comfortably in the hands of Kings XI Punjab! Having opted to bat first, RCB batted with a complete defensive mindset! RCB sent in left-handers Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube ahead of AB de Villiers to unsettle the two wrist-spinners (Murugan Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi) in Punjab's line-up, but both collectively consumed 33 balls to score just 36 runs!
AB walked out to bat in the 17th over at No. 6 but scored just 2 runs off 5 deliveries. Captain Virat Kohli scored 48 runs off 39 deliveries but his poor strike rate did not help them much! In the final two overs, Chris Morris (25* off 8) and Isuru Udana (10* off 5) played two cameos with the bat and those two knocks helped RCB finish with 171/6 in 20 overs.
During the chase, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (45 off 25) put together 78 runs in 8 overs to give them a solid foundation. RCB's best powerplay bowler Washington Sundar did not bowl in the powerplay as he was held back for match-up against Chris Gayle! However, Gayle hit Sundar for four sixes getting the better of him! Rahul scored a 49-ball 61 while Gayle scored half-century (53 off 45) on his return to IPL in this match.
Punjab needed 11 runs from last 3 overs with 9 wickets in hand! Just when everyone thought a victory was coming for KXIP in just the 18th over, Rahul and Gayle dragged the game to the final delivery off the match. Chris Morris and Isuru Udana conceded just 4 and 5 runs in the 18th and 19th overs respectively!
With 2 runs needed off final over and fielders placed inside 30-yard circle, Chahal turned out to be very threatening as he conceded just 1 run off the first five deliveries. And the wicket of Gayle in the fifth delivery as run-out turned things from bad to ugly for KXIP. Nicholas Pooran who walked in at No. 4 hit a SIX off the final ball of the 20th over to get them over the line. Punjab captain KL Rahul bagged the 'Player of the Match' award for his unbeaten half-century in this victory.
Brief Scores: Kings XI Punjab - 177/2 in 20 overs (KL Rahul - 61, Chris Gayle - 53, Yuzvendra Chahal - 1/35) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore - 171/6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli - 48, Chris Morris - 25*, Murugan Ashwin - 2/23, Mohammad Shami - 2/45) by a margin of 8 wickets
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