IPL 2018: Gayle's presence making an impact on Rahul and Nair, feels Viv Richards

West Indies great Viv Richards lauds Virender Sehwag for KXIP's sensational run so far.

Chris Gayle and KL Rahul | AFP

West Indian swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle’s jaw-dropping form with the bat is doing wonder for the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the ongoing 2018 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Besides Gayle, India’s KL Rahul and Karun Nair are also firing runs with the willow and played a key role in KXIP’s five wins out of their seven matches so far in the IPL 2018, and Sir Viv Richards has rated Punjab’s this outing as the best of their last 10 outings in the tournament.

Nair has come up with important contributions for KXIP. (AFP)

He also lauded KXIP mentor Virender Sehwag for making the right decision to revamp the squad for the season which is also a factor of their success this IPL 2018.

In his column for Times of India, Richards wrote, “Punjab has been part of the IPL for all eleven seasons and this has been one of their best outings until now. Currently third on the table, the boys are bound to be proud of themselves. Sehwag made the right decisions by revamping the squad, choosing the apt players they wanted during the auction. For a side that has seemed to struggle in the past, Ashwin and his boys have found their groove pretty early this season.”

So far, Gayle has piled up 252 runs, Rahul has 268 runs under his belt, and Nair has amassed 186 runs, even bowlers also did a brilliant job for KXIP. The West Indian legend says the entire Punjab camp has been giving their 100 percent, and it will be fabulous to see them to the top this IPL 2018.

Richards added, “Kings XI never held back and have brought something new to the pitch each game under the able captaincy of Ashwin; whether it’s a Gayle storm or KL Rahul’s smart innings or young Ankit Rajpoot’s five-for. The boys have given their hundred percent on the field.”

He signed off by saying, “Gayle’s power-show in this IPL has been satisfying to watch, especially after him being left unsold twice in the auction, which has inspired him to ignite the fire inside. Players like Karun Nair and KL Rahul seem to derive that energy from the Jamaican. It will be fabulous to see Punjab make it all the way to the top, post their struggles over these past few seasons.”

 

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 04 May, 2018

    Share Via