Dubai: Kings XI Punjab scored an emphatic eight wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore despite AB De Villiers, playing his first match for Bangalore after recovering from an injury, lighting up the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore through an electrifying unbeaten 89. His knock which came off 46 balls contained nine sixes and three boundaries making the bowlers wonder where to bowl and stop him from hitting his shots.
Though Punjab took early wickets, De Villiers gave Bangalore a challenging total of 148 for 4 in 20 overs. Chasing the total, Punjab won the match in just 14.3 overs through opener Hashim Amla’s unbeaten 58 off 38 balls with four boundaries and three sixes and skipper Glenn Maxwell’s unconquered 43 off just 22 balls with three fours and four sixes .The pair put on an unbeaten runs in 72 runs in 6.2 overs.
Earlier, Amla put on a 62 runs partnership with opener Manan Vohra in six overs before Tymal Mills trapped Vohra leg before with a slower delivery for 34. One drop Axar Patel could score only nine runs before leg break googly bowler Yuzvendra Chahal clean bowled him with his googly.
Amla reached his half century in 32 balls and Punjab sailed smoothly to the target. Stanlake dropped Amla while Mandeep Singh dropped Maxwell to make the chase easy.
Bangalore won toss and elected to bat dropping Chris Gayle for AB De Villiers. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel stuck with the last ball of his first over by forcing opener and skipper Shane Watson to play onto his wicket for 1.
Opener Vishnu Vinod from Kerala was joined by De Villiers. Vishnu confidently pulled Mohit Sharma for a boundary while De Villiers hit Sharma over the covers for a six. Medium pacer Sandeep Sharma ended Vinod’s inning by having him caught by his skipper Glenn Maxwell at long on for 7.
Kedar Jadhav, fresh from a knock of 69 against Delhi Daredevils, lasted only four balls getting trapped leg before by Varun Aaron for 1.
By the end of the sixth over, Bangalore were struggling at 23 for 3. De Villiers hit Aaron past mid-wicket for a beautifully timed boundary. Punjab introduced T.Natarajan for the ninth over. Mandeep Singh pulled Natarajan’s fifth delivery for a mighty six out of the stadium and edge the last delivery for another boundary. Thirteen runs came from that over.
Marcus Stonis bowled a tight 10th over giving away only six runs. Patel who was introduced again in the 11th over also bowled tightly giving just six runs. When the 12th over bowled by Stonis also produced just six runs, a big total for Bangalore looked impossible.
At this juncture, Aaron struck again to remove Singh who was stroking well . Singh on 28, trying to pull got a top edge and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha pulled off an unbelievable catch. Saha ran back all the way almost half way towards boundary and last minute dived to his right to complete the catch with both hands.
The 15th over from Patel was so tight that Bangalore could get only one run from it. With only five more overs to go and score only at 71 for 4, Bangalore needed some bit hits. De Villiers lofted Aaron for a six over mid-off. He also hit Stonis for a powerful six into the stands over deep mid-wicket.
De Villiers reached his half century in 34 balls hitting Stonis for another six over deep mid-wicket. Stuart Binny lofted Mohit Sharma for a six and also cracked the next ball for a boundary through extra cover. De Villiers completed the over with a flat six between long on and mid-wicket. Nineteen runs came off Sharma’s over.
De Villiers was at his aggressive best in the 19th over hitting Sandeep Sharma’s second delivery for a boundary past backward point and then hit the third and fourth ball for sixes.
In the last over from Mohit Sharma bowled four good deliveries but De Villiers hit his last two deliveries for sixes to ensure Bangalore a respectable total.
Brief scores:
Kings XI Punjab bt Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wkts.
Bangalore 148 for 4 in 20 overs (AB De Villiers 89n.o, Mandeep Singh 28, Varun Aaron 2 for 21) Punjab 150 for 2 in 14.3 overs (Manan Vohra 34, Hashim Amla 58n.o, Glenn Maxwell 43n.o)
