Mohali KL Rahul (71 n o, 53b, 7×4, 1×6) and Mayank Agarwal (55, 43b, 3×4, 3×6) helped Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) register a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their IPL encounter here, Monday.
Chasing a descent 151 runs to win, KXIP had to suffer an early blow when Rashid Khan (1/20) sent the swashbuckling West Indian opener Chris Gayle (16) in the fourth over to reduce the hosts to 18/1.
However, Rahul and Agarwal played watchful cricket to take their side close to the target, adding 114 runs for the second wicket. With 19 runs required to win in last three overs, Sandeep Sharma dismissed Agarwal and David Miller (1) in the 18th over to reduce the hosts to 135/3.
In the 19th over, Siddarth Kaul (1/42) conceded only five runs and dismissed Mandeep Singh in the final ball to take the match into final over, where KXIP had to score 11 runs for a victory. Rahul and Sam Curran (5 n o) completed the chase for the hosts with one ball to spare.
Earlier, David Warner (70 n o, 62b, 6×4, 1×6) struck his fourth fifty of the season before Deepak Hooda (14 n o, 3b, 2×4, 1×6) played a cameo in the final over to lift Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to a challenging 150/4.
Opening the batting, Warner carried on his bat for an uncharacteristic knock to anchor Sunrisers’ innings but it was Hooda’s unbeaten cameo that provided the late thrust to the visitors’ innings. Hooda smashed Mohammed Shami (1/30) for two fours and one hit over the fence to pick up vital 15 runs off the last over.
Sunrisers suffered an early blow in the form of Jonny Bairstow (1) after being sent into bat. Bairstow failed to control a flick off Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s (1/34) bowling as Kings XI skipper Ravichandran Ashwin took a smart catch at short midwicket in the second over.
The early dismissal, together with some disciplined bowling from Kings XI, made life difficult for Sunrisers batsmen as Warner and new man in Vijay Shankar (26) found the going tough.
The duo stitched 49 runs for the second wicket off 57 balls to stabilise the Sunrisers innings. But just when it was time to cut loose after a slow start, Shankar edged an Ashwin (1/30) delivery as Sunrisers slumped to 56/2 after 10.4 overs.
Promoted up the order, Mohammad Nabi (12) fell victim to an unfortunate run out after adding just 24 runs with Warner. The Aussie, along with Manish Pandey (19), then added 55 runs for the fourth wicket to take Sunrisers forward before Hooda finished off the innings in style to give Sunrisers’ bowlers a total to defend.
Brief scores: SRH 150/4 (David Warner 70 n o, Vijay Shankar 26; R Ashwin 1/30, Mohammed Shami 1/30) lost to KXIP 151/4 (KL Rahul 71 n o, Mayank Agarwal 55; Sandeep Sharma 2/21) by 6 wickets.
