Published: May 16, 2016, 11:30 AM (IST)
Edited: May 16, 2016, 11:32 AM (IST)
Kings XI Punjab‘s campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was over after they lost to a dominant Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team on Sunday. The loss by 7 wickets meant their last hopes of surviving in the tournament were gone. But all is not over for KXIP as their captain Murali Vijay thinks that their pride will be at stake in the remaining two games and they will look to finish the season on a good note. Kings XI Punjab will play their next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led by Virat Kohli. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad , Live Score, 46th T20 Match, IPL 2016
Vijay said – “We got to put up a show (because) individually and as a team we have a lot at stake,” Vijay said on Sunday (May 15) after Kings XI lost their eighth game of the season and their last one at home at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. ALSO READ: Yuvraj Singh’s 42 helps Sunrisers Hyderabad defeat Kings XI Punjab and qualify for playoffs of IPL 2016
Kings XI Punjab posted a total of 179-4 in their 20 overs after they won the toss and elected to bat first in front of their home crowd. SRH though were magnificent in their reply as David Warner scored a half-century at the top and then Yuvraj Singh played a cameo to take his side home. KXIP have just 8 points from 12 games and are second-last on the IPL points table. Vijay said – “For pride’s sake, we’ve got to play there and put up a good show against RCB and one more game in the end, against Pune. Hopefully, we can put up a good show”, as quoted by cricbuzz.com.
Meanwhile, Vijay also praised his KXIP teammate Hashim Amla who scored 96 off 56 balls for his side but still ended up on the losing side. “He is a world class player and the way he played on this kind of wicket is really great to watch from outside. And (there is) lots of things to learn from him. Obviously, to come up on the wrong side in the end (you feel) a little sad for him and for his knock. Hopefully, we can take it on the chin and play a couple of more games with a lot more pride,” Vijay said. ALSO READ: Hashim Amla’s 96 powers Kings XI Punjab to 179-4 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2016 at Mohali
KXIP’s bowlers had done a good job in the tournament until the last match, with Mohit Sharma and Sandeep Sharma delivering for them when needed. Although they completely lost track of it when Yuvraj Singh came out to bat and took the game away from them. “I thought they batted well, to be honest. We were in the game till the 15th-16th over. And when Yuvi came, we missed out on the plans,” he said. “Obviously, we need to rethink about it. This is what we are going to face in the future games, in the pressure situation what we are going to do. I cannot be harsh on my bowlers because they’ve been brilliant throughout the season. One off-game like this does happen,” said Vijay who appointed as captain midway into the IPL.
Vijay felt that his team didn’t start the tournament well and paid the price for it. KXIP’s middle-order didn’t deliver as per expectations and their combinations didn’t work out well either. “There are a lot of variables (but) we should have started well in the tournament to have a chance in the end. At the end, almost all the teams are set with their playing XI. They are going to come hard at us,” he reasoned. I personally thought we have a good set up. We have a good bunch of guys who could win matches in their own right. It didn’t click for us this season. We can take the positives from this season and come back and play better cricket next season,” Vijay said in an optimistic manner.
