Mohali: Suresh Raina-led Gujarat Lions got off to a flying start as they beat Kings XI Punjab by five wickets and 14 balls remaining in their maiden Indian Premier League match at PCA Stadium, Mohai on Monday.
Giving credit to his bowlers for restricting the hosts to 161 after they got off to a rollicking start (78 off 8.2 overs), Raina said, "We pulled it back really well. Bravo, PK, Faulkner, Jadeja bowled really well. At one stage we thought they would get to 200. We have a couple of international captains in our side, and Hodgy has a lot of experience too and that really made a difference.
Aaron Finch, who was given the man-of-the-match award for his 47-ball 74, said, “It’s nice to start off the tournament well. But I think all credit goes to our bowlers. It was a beautiful wicket, there was some grass on it and it skidded on really well. I got lucky, but in T20 you need a bit of luck early on.”
When asked how it felt to be playing for his sixth IPL team, he said, “I just didn't perform well enough to last a long time in my previous franchises.”
