Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) skipper KL Rahul's unexpected use of off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham in the final over against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Abu Dhabi this Thursday (October 1) backfired miserably. 

Gowtham was taken to the cleaners by MI's renowned power-hitters Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya for 25 runs, including consecutive three sixes by Pollard off the final three deliveries. 

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The over pushed the defending champions' total to an intimidating 191/4, giving MI all the momentum going into the second half as their bowlers rallied behind the batters' excellent performance and enabled the team's important 48-run win. 

Rahul's move faced heavy criticism online, with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar among those who felt bemused by the captain's call. 

"191 is a very competitive total on this ground. Brilliantly paced innings by @ImRo45. An off spinner to bowl against @hardikpandya7 and @KieronPollard55 in the 20th over!" tweeted Tendulkar, the former MI captain. 

Yuvraj Singh, another giant of Indian batting, however, was slightly more lenient towards Rahul, suggesting the inexperienced captain can make mistakes under pressure. 

"Tough game for @lionsdenkxip last night as @mipaltan were the better team on the day But @klrahul11 getting bit of a flack for bowling an offie in last over I feel is a bit unfair ,We all make mistakes and as a new skip we should all look at the positives that he has brought on," Yuvraj, former KXIP batsman, tweeted. 

Kings XI next play Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Dubai on Sunday (October 4).