Kings XI Punjab continued their dominance in the ongoing Indian Premier League as they humiliated Rajasthan Royals by 6 wickets at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Sunday (May 6).
Having received the thrashing from Mumbai Indians batsmen two days ago, the KXIP bowlers made a commendable comeback to restrict RR to 152/9 in 20 overs. However, it was their batting line-up that finally stepped up to the plate to clinch the contest by 6 wickets.
KXIP rode on KL Rahul’s magnificent 54-ball 84* to chase down the target with 8 balls to spare. Marcus Stoinis (23* runs off 16 balls) and Karun Nair (31 runs off 23 balls) were another notable contributors for Punjab with the bat.
Speaking after the match, KXIP skipper Ravichandran Ashwin looked visibly glad with the win. He was proud of the way his batsmen are slowly coming to the fore and winning games for the team.
"We didn't play for some time and we hadn't got any points over the last two weeks. There was a bit of nervousness and it's glad to get two points," Ashwin said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
"This win is good because we were tested in our batting. One of our batsmen batted deep and that's what we've been asking for. Most of our wins have been set up the bowlers, 12 points have been set up by the bowlers. Good to know that one department is firing on all cylinders," he added.
During the chase, Punjab were in a spot of bother, having lost 4 wickets for 87 runs in 13 overs. But Rahul held his nerves and was equally supported by Stoinis at the fag end of the innings.
"Many of the batters are inexperienced and as the tournament goes on, I expect them to do better. Didn't come with any expectations to be honest, just came here to gauge the situation and do my best," Ashwin asserted.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman was the stand-out bowler for KXIP as he scalped 3 wickets by giving away 27 runs in his 4 overs. Andrew Tye also claimed 2 wickets in his 4 overs by conceding 24 runs.
"The most important thing for a captain is to rotate the bowlers well and to get the batting order right. The guys who let me down will win me games tomorrow, that's the perspective I came here with," Ashwin concluded.
With this thumping win over Rajasthan, the KXIP side have now secured the third spot on the points table with 12 points from 9 matches.
