ISF Teams: There’s no stopping Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) juggernaut at the moment, as they dismantled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by a thumping margin of 8 wickets at Sharjah on Monday.
The game held utmost significance for the fourth and fifth-placed side in the table. After the game, the two sides swapped position as KXIP grows favorites to reach the playoffs from nowhere.
Earlier, KXIP skipper KL Rahul won the toss and asked KKR to bat first. Within a couple of overs, KKR were reduced to 10/3, with double strikes from Mohammed Shami (3/35). That was after Glenn Maxwell dismissed Nitish Rana (0), the very first ball he faced.
Rahul Tripathi (7) and Dinesh Karthik (0) soon followed Rana into the dugout, leaving Shubman Gill and Eoin Morgan at the crease.
The two put forward an entertaining partnership of 81 runs for the fourth wicket. Captain Morgan, with his trademark counterattacking style, registered 40 off just 25 deliveries. The left-hander smashed five fours and two maximums during his outing.
Gill top-scored with his 57 which came off just 45 deliveries. The stylish right-hander treated spectators with three fours and four sixes.
A priceless cameo from Lockie Ferguson (24 off 13) propelled KKR to a below-par score of 149 as Rahul’s men picked all ten KKR wickets.
Chasing a moderate target of 150, Rahul and Mandeep Singh added 47 runs for the opening stand before the former lost his wicket to Varun Chakravarthy on 28.
However, the game-changing knock came from ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle, who smashed a quickfire 29-ball 51.
Mandeep finished the job for his side by remaining unbeaten on 66. Both Gayle and Mandeep added 100 runs for the second wicket, taking KXIP to the cusp of victory.
In the end, it was a comfortable win for KXIP who achieved the target with seven deliveries to spare. Mandeep walked away with the ‘Player of the Match’ title and dedicated the knock to his late father, who passed away a few days back.
Brief Scores:
KXIP – 150/2 in 18.5 overs (Mandeep 66*, Gayle 51) beat KKR – 149/10 (Gill 57, Shami 3/35) by 8 wickets
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