Kings XI Punjab’s though managed to win their first game of the season against Rajasthan Royals but they were without the services of their prime pacer Andrew Tye.
As per the reports, the Australian pacer is still in Australia and hasn’t joined the team yet.
The news comes as a big surprise as he was in India with the Australian team for the ODI series.
He could have stayed in India but is in Australia for now; the reasons for which are yet to be known.
There is no news when he will land in India and it is unlikely that he will be available for selection in KXIP’s next match against Kolkata Knight Riders tomorrow.
Tye was bought by Kings XI Punjab in the auction for IPL 2018 for an amount of Rs 7.2 Crores.
He shone with the ball for the team and scalped 24 wickets, also winning the purple cap in his second IPL season.
In his absence, Mohammed Shami led KXIP’s pace attack.
He went for 33 runs and did not take any wicket.
Sam Curran, who opened the bowling on his IPL debut, went for 52 runs for two wickets.
Ankit Rajpoot, the third pacer in the side, scalped 2 wickets for 33 runs.
Spinners Mujeeb ur Rahman and R Ashwin controlled the game in the middle and bagged three wickets for 51 runs in 8 overs they bowled.
Kings XI Punjab won the match by 14 runs in the end.
Rajasthan Royals were cruising to a win with Jos Buttler in the middle but R Ashwin proved to be the game changer as he mankaded Buttler.
It just turned the game in KXIP’s favour and Rajasthan Royals were ruled out as soon as they lost the wicket of Buttler.
The way of his dismissal did invite criticism but everything was done as per rules, which did not see any player raising an objection to it.
Ashwin also addressed his decision to mankad Buttler and said, “I don’t understand the point of sporting or sportive in that point because it’s rules. What applies for one man does not apply for everyone else. Neither was Jos Buttler playing there nor was I played so it’s very pertinent to just not compare two people.”
Kings XI Punjab play two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders in their next fixture at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
KKR also won their first game where they faced Sunrisers Hyderabad in Kolkata in the second game of the season on Sunday.