Dubai: Captain KL Rahul led from the front as Kings XI Punjab thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore by 97 runs in the sixth match of the IPL 2020, here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
After a superb performance with the bat, the fast bowlers stepped up and helped KXIP claim their first win of the season on Thursday.
KXIP batting first posted a huge total of 206-3 in 20 overs courtesy KL Rahul's blistering century knock (132 off 69). In reply, RCB were bowled out for 109-10 in 17 overs.
Ravi Bishnoi (3 wicket) and Murugan Ashwin (3 wicket) were the star performers with the ball for KXIP while Washington Sundar (30 off 27) was the highest scorer for RCB.
Chasing a mammoth target for victory, RCB were off to a terrible start. After a superb performance with the bat, the fast bowlers stepped up for the KXIP with Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami taking wickets in their first spells.
Cottrell got rid of Devdutt Padikkal in the 1st over before sending back Virat Kohli for 1 in his 2nd over. In between Mohammed Shami picked up Josh Philippe's wicket, the Aussie wicketkeeper departing for a duck in his maiden IPL innings.
After losing the wickets of Padikkal, Kohli and Philippe's wicket inside 3 overs, Aaron Finch and AB de Villiers played sensibly and took RCB to 40/3 at the end of powerplay.
However, both de Villiers and Finch couldn't carry their innings longer and got out soon. Ravi Bishnoi cleaned up Aaron Finch and Murugan Ashwin dismissed AB de Villiers.
Bishnoi picked up his maiden IPL wicket by knocking out Finch's (20 off 21) off-stump while Murugan Ashwin dismissed AB de Villiers for 28, virtually ending the contest there.
Ravi Bishnoi 3/32, Murugan Ashwin 3/21, Sheldon Cottrell 2/17, Glenn Maxwell 1/10, Mohammed Shami 1/14 were the wicket takers for KXIP.(UNI)
