IPL 2018: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals – Match Report

Dec 22, 2018 at 5:24 PM

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IPL 2018: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals – Match Report

So, yet another team falls into the red zone. The incredible batting effort from KL Rahul thumped Rajasthan Royals to see themselves strengthening their position in the points table. However, the bottom-ranked Rajasthan Royals needs to make an incredible turnaround in order to make a way into playoffs.

Rajasthan Royals: Punjab bowlers come to the party despite Buttler’s brilliance

Earlier, in the evening, KXIP’s Ashwin won the toss and asked the visitors to put on a total on the board. Justifying the toss decision, KXIP bowlers did the job by sending back D’Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane early in their innings. Surprisingly, Chris Gayle took a diving catch to send Rahane back to the hut.

Jos Buttler (Picture Source – BCCI)

However, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson took the onus on themselves and kept the scoreboard ticking with a decent strike rate. But, Samson walked back against the run of play thus leaving the pressure on Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. The English all-rounder looked in a decent Nick but the excellent tag team fielding effort at the boundary rope saw him walking back to the dugout.

The sorrows of Rajasthan further developed when Mujeeb bowled a crackers to send back Jos Buttler and Archer in back to back deliveries. However, the smart batting from Shreyas Gopal, in the end, helped Rajasthan Royals to post a respectable tally of 152 runs on the board to hand something for the bowlers to defend.

KXIP: KL Rahul knocks his career-best IPL tally to cross victory ropes

In reply to the chase, Rajasthan bowlers bowled absolute rippers to see KXIP on the back foot. Chris Gayle went back for a cheap score while Ben Stokes got better of Mayank Agarwal. KL Rahul played complete opposite to his character while Karun Nair hung in for quite a time.

Kings XI Punjab, KL Rahul, Chris Gayle
KL Rahul (Image Courtesy: Getty Images)

Despite, both the Karnataka batsmen ensured no further hiccups, Rajasthan bowlers are smart enough to keep the run rate in check. The things really got the movement when Anureet scalped Karun Nair in the middle of the innings thus opening the gate. Krishnappa Gowtham sent Axar Patel for a low score thus leaving the responsibility of KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis.

However, KL Rahul was too good with his willow while Marcus Stoinis played a much-needed knock at the other end to see his side get over the line. KL Rahul finished with an unbeaten 84* off 54 deliveries and numbered 7 fours and 3 sixes to bag the man of the match award.

All in all, it was a decent win for Kings XI Punjab and the win ensured them to ascend their position to number 3 in the points table.

Brief scores:

Rajasthan Royals – 152/9; Jos Buttler 51, Samson 28; Mujeeb 3/27, Tye 2/24

Kings XI Punjab – 155/4; KL Rahul 84, Karun 31; Gowtham 1/18

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