Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) bowling unit on Saturday rose to a big challenge and defended a small total with help of sharp fielding to pip Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 12 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter after a dramatic collapse.
After the KXIP batsmen failed to get going on being inserted by SRH and were restricted 126 for seven wickets in 20 overs — thanks to superb spells from Rashid Khan, Jason Holder, and Sandeep Sharma — David Warner’s Hyderabad capitulated under pressure and were all out for 114 in 19.5 overs. It was proverbial snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for SRH.
KXIP took as many as seven wickets in the last four overs and conceded just 15 runs. Chris Jordan, who was adjudged the Man of the Match, and Arshdeep Singh bowled the last two overs in which they got two wickets each at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. KXIP’s fielding standard rose under pressure and it made a big difference.
The win took KXIP to the fifth place in the points table with 10 points while SRH are at the sixth with just eight points.
Chasing the target, SRH were off to a decent start through sensible batting by David Warner (35) and Jonny Bairstow (19), who scored 52 runs in the initial six overs of powerplay.
As soon as the field restrictions lifted, Ravi Bishnoi (1/13) drew the first blood as he accounted for the wicket of a well-settled Warner in the seventh over.
SRH went on to lose Bairstow and Abdul Samad (7) within a span of another 11 runs and that saw them being placed at 67/3 in 8.5 overs.
SRH’s last match heroes — Manish Pandey (15) and Vijay Shankar (26) — tried to restore sanuty with a brief 33-run stand. However, the duo failed to replicate its previous show as Jordan accounted for Pandey in the 17th over, when SRH were 27 runs away from the target.
KXIP were soon back in the contest, thanks to Arshdeep, who got the better off Shankar in the 18th over as the game swiftly changed direction.
The KXIP bowlers then capitalised from the situation and wreaked havoc in the SRH’s inexperienced lower middle-order. The entire SRH side was eventually bundled out for 114 runs in 19.5 overs.
This was KXIP’s fifth win from 11 games.
Earlier, some disciplined bowling effort saw KXIP being restricted to a paltry 126/7 in the allotted 20 overs.
The SRH bowlers were once again exceptional and fired in unison especially Rashid Khan (2/14), Sandeep Sharma (2/29) and Jason Holder (2/27).
Asked to bat, KXIP were off to a safe and cautious start as KL Rahul (27) and Mandeep Singh (17), who opened the innings in absence of injured Mayank Agarwal, added 24 runs in the first four overs.
Thirteen runs later, Sharma came with the first breakthrough, picking up Mandeep in the final delivery of the fifth over. It was also Sharma’s 100th IPL wicket from his 87th game.
Rahul tried his best to settle things in the middle with a brief 29-run stand with Chris Gayle (20) before both fell off consecutive deliveries when their side was at 66 runs.
Thereafter, wickets kept on tumbling as except Nicholas Pooran (32 not out), none of the KXIP batsmen rose to the occasion and succumbed before SRH’s quality bowling.
Glenn Maxwell, Chris Jordan and Murugan Ashwin contributed with 12, seven and four runs respectively before falling as KXIP somehow managed to cross the 100-run mark before managing to put 126 on board.
Brief scores: Kings XI Punjab 126/7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 32 not out, KL Rahul 27; Rashid Khan 2/14) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad: 114 all out in 19.5 overs (David Warner 35, Vijay Shankar 26; Chris Jordan 3/17) by 12 runs
