Sharjah: Kings XI Punjab beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wickets in the IPL. KL Rahul (61 not out off 49 balls) and Gayle (53 off 45 balls) were the top scorers for Punjab, but a near-game-changing 20th over by Yuzvendra Chahal (1/35) required a six off the last ball by Nicholas Pooran to clinch the thriller.
RCB, batting first against KXIP, scored 171/6 in their 20 overs. RCB got off to a cracking start but were then strangled by spin, with Murugan Ashwin (2/23) being the wrecker-in-chief. Virat Kohli (48) came in to bat in the 5th over and anchored the RCB innings from then on. RCB’s strategy of sending in left-handers Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube ahead of AB de Villiers to counter KXIP’s leg spinners blew up in their faces. Mohammed Shami (2/45) picked up both Kohli and De Villiers in the 18th over to give KXIP a definitive upper hand. Chris Morris (25*) exploded in the last 2 overs to salvage the RCB innings. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (45) came out all guns blazing in KXIP’s chase. Chris Gayle came out to bat for the first time in the season after Mayank’s wicket, joining in the carnage.
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