Published: Apr 10, 2017, 11:09 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 11, 2017, 01:40 PM (IST)
Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) made light work of a 149-run target set by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), in the eighth match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 edition. Chasing a moderate target, KXIP were bolstered by a Hashim Amla’s unbeaten half-century, and yet another rapid innings from captain Glenn Maxwell which shut the opponents out of the contest. KXIP, who had earlier won their series opener by 6 wickets against Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), hammered RCB by an even better margin of 8 wickets at their second home ground of Holkar Stadium in Indore. Maxwell, who scored 43 not out, also completed 1,000 IPL runs in process. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) IPL 2017, match 8
KXIP made a rollicking start in a modest chase, and won the contest with 33 balls to spare. While Amla played strokes around the ground, Manan Vohra rode his luck to stroke his way to a 21-ball 34, studded with 4 boundaries and 1 six. He added 62 runs for the opening wicket with Amla, and KXIP had another half-century stand, between Amla and Maxwell. The two senior batsmen put up an unbeaten 72-run stand for the third wicket, after Manan and Akshar Patel (9) were dismissed in quick succession. For RCB, Yuzvendra Chahal and Tymal Mills took a wicket each. FULL CRICKET UPDATES: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) IPL 2017, match 8
The victory for the home side also somewhat spoiled the return of AB de Villiers, who had earlier played a characteristic innings of 89 not out, studded with 9 sixes, to propel RCB to a moderate total. Virat Kohli remained away from action, but de Villiers roared back to form in his first innings itself.
KXIP began with Amla getting a couple of boundaries in the first two overs, and Vohra got the first six even though he was surprised with a bouncer from Billy Stanlake. The delivery rose sharply on the batsman who got into an awkward position, but a thick edge was enough to send the ball into the stands.
Shane Watson, who took the blame later on for RCB’s defeat, came into the attack in the third over. He was unlucky as even though Vohra hit in the air, the batsman managed to clear the fielders at point and mid-off. The over ended with a convincing boundary past short fine-leg.
On the other end, Amla continued to make his runs with ease. He hit the third ball of the fifth over from Stanlake playing the ball very late, one bounce past the cover point fielder for his third boundary. However, he was lucky when Stanlake spilled an easy catch in the next over at deep fine leg off Mills, with the ball travelling past the ropes for a six.
Vohra scored one more boundary before falling to Mills, trapped in front of the wickets in the sixth over on a slower delivery. Vohra made 34 off 21 balls before falling to a slower one from Mills.
Patel was sent in at one-down, but he could not do much beyond a six off Iqbal Abdulla. He was cleaned up by Yuzvendra Chahal, which brought Maxwell into the middle.
This was when Amla and Maxwell got together and shut out RCB from the contest. Amla hit a six in the same over in which Patel was dismissed, and Maxwell began with two powerful hits for a four and a six off Mills. The duo did not waste any time in chasing down the remaining runs, with both the batsmen playing their natural games.
In the 12th over, Mandeep, who had earlier contributed with a vital 28, spilled a sitter at point when Maxwell played one straight to the fielder, off Watson. In the same over, Amla brought up his half-century with a boundary on delivery peppered on the leg side. Maxwell ended the over with a four over extra cover.
With 30 more runs needed off 48 balls, Maxwell provided rapidity to KXIP by hitting a boundary off Pawan Negi in the 13th over, and hammered two sixes off Stanlake to collect another 16 runs. At this point, KXIP’s skipper was one run short of his milestone and KXIP needed another 6 runs to win. Maxwell finished the proceedings by hitting a six off Chahal in the 15th over and thereby completed 1,000 IPL runs.
Earlier in the game, de Villiers returned to the equation in the RCB camp, replacing Chris Gayle, and played one of his characteristic innings. Coming in at No. 3 with Watson being dismissed in the first over, de Villiers held the RCB innings together and launched an onslaught in the final 5 overs. He slammed 8 out of 9 sixes in the last 5 overs, which lifted a meek RCB batting to 148 for 4. At the toss, RCB had elected to bat.
Patel, who returned with the figures of 4-0-12-1, was adjudged the Man of the Match. KXIP had set the tone early by keeping RCB to 23 for 3 in the powerplay — a position from where the visitors could never recover.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore 148 for 4 in 20 overs (AB de Villiers 89*, Mandeep Singh 28; Varun Aaron 2 for 21, Akshar Patel 1 for 12) lost to Kings XI Punjab 150 for 2 in 14.3 overs (Manan Vohra 34, Hashim Amla 58*, Glenn Maxwell 43*; Tymal Mills 1 for 22) by 8 wickets.
Man of the Match: Akshar Patel
