It was Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers show again. After helping Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat Pune Warriors Indians in their last match they again got their act together to help Challengers beat Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at the PCA, Mohali.
Kings XI Punjab were heading nowhere after their stand in skipper David Hussey departed in the 15th over and even 130 was looking difficult to reach. But a late attack launched by Azhar Mahmood saw them reach a decent total of 163.
But Gayle and de Villiers batted well to see the visitors home. Here are some of the hits and flops from the last match.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Hits:
Chris Gayle: No target seems big enough when he is batting. But then the way he batted yesterday is not how he bats ideally. He was looking calm and composed and did not launch an onslaught straight away. He was more watchful and went behind only those deliveries which were there to hit. And even though he played a much slower innings then he generally does he still ended with a strike rate of 155.35. He scored 87 of 56 deliveries and hit eight fours and four sixes.
AB de Villiers: One of the most consistent performers for RCB, AB was at it again. After helping Challengers win against Pune Warriors he again played an important role in yesterday’s win. He scored 52 of 36 deliveries consisting of six fours. Along with Gayle, he stitched a partnership of 131, the highest fourth wicket partnership in IPL.
Flops:
Virat Kohli: He came into the IPL with a great form, and everyone expected him to play the way he is doing in the international arena. He has failed with the bat in the tournament and even yesterday against a less fancied attack, he could just score four runs of four deliveries.
King XI Punjab
Hits:
David Hussey: He was the stand in captain and was the only player to breach the 40 runs mark. Incidentally his score of 41 is the second highest score by a Punjab batsman posted in this year’s tournament, with the highest being scored by Shaun Marsh (64). Hussey played 34 deliveries and hit four boundaries. He was like a lightning on the field as well and took a brilliant one handed diving catch to dismiss Gayle.
Azhar Mahmood: He was the surprise element in the match. The Pakistani all rounder who now plays most of his cricket in English county scored a 33 of 14 deliveries including three fours and two sixes towards the end of the innings to help his side post a fighting total of 163.
Parwinder Awana: He was brilliant with the ball for Punjab. He bowled with conviction and gave Bangalore some nervous breakdowns early on in the innings as he picked up three quick wickets for his team. After his first spell he came back later, when the match was almost over, and picked up the wicket of Chris Gayle who was caught brilliantly by Hussey in the covers. He picked up four wickets by giving away 34 runs. It was his first four wicket haul in IPL.
Flops:
Batting: Batting as usual flopped for them and barring the foreign recruits none of them could pose any bit of threat to the RCB bowlers. They have looked miserable from the start of the tournament and if they do not pull up their socks it would become very difficult for Punjab to end the tournament on a good note.
Praveen Kumar: He is the bowler on whom KXIP had banked on a lot. But he not only disappointed yesterday, but has been doing it since the tournament began. In six matches, that he has played he has not picked up a single wicket and has conceded 168 runs.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhary
Indian Sports News
