Published: May 14, 2015, 12:13 PM (IST)
Edited: May 14, 2015, 12:13 PM (IST)
The match was curtailed to a 10 overs a side affair after the incessant rain disrupted the party in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Although Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had an upper-hand as they won a similar match earlier this season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but this time they were done by a good bowing performance of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).
RCB won the toss and backed their self to chase down the target. Batting first, KXIP got off to a flying start as Wriddhiman Saha was elevated to opener’s position and he came out all guns blazing. KXIP somehow managed to get a defendable score of 106 to provide their bowlers a fighting chance. Except Saha, everyone contributed in bits and pieces.
Chasing 107, RCB got a solid start as Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle fired from both the ends. But soon they lost they lost the gained momentum as they lost both the openers in quick succession. The required run-rate kept on climbing and RCB never managed to get the required run-rate below ten. KXIP bowled extremely well to keep the likes of Gayle and AB de Villiers under check. Beuran Hendricks bowled exceptionally well and so did Axar Patel.
Turning Point: The turning point of the match indubitably was the wicket of AB de Villiers. He came into this match with a scintillating century in their previous encounter against Mumbai Indians (MI). In the sixth over de Villiers tried to hit the ball over fine leg but failed to connect it properly and eventually floundered. This wicket turned the match on its head as the game kept drifting away from their grasp.
Brief score:
Kings XI Punjab 106 for 6 wickets in 10 overs [Wriddhiman Saha 31 (12), Akshar Patel 20 (15)*; Harshal Patel 2-0-12-2, Yuzvendra Chahal 2-0-25-2] beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 84 for 6 in 10 overs [ Mandeep Singh 20 (14), Virat Kohli 19 (9); Akshar Patel 2-0-11-2, Anureet Singh 2-0-21-2, Beuran Hendricks 2-0-9-1] – by 22 runs
