Kings XI Punjab fought back to successfully defend a total of 167 against Kolkata Knight Riders to keep their hopes alive for play-offs.
Kings XI Punjab need to win all the rest of their matches in the league stage and hope for favourable results from the other matches that teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders play to have any chance of making it into the playoffs this year.
While the latter is something that has to be left to fate, winning matches is something that they can control and control is what they wrestled out of Kolkata Knight Riders’ hands in the death overs to record a 14-run win over them.
Defending a total of 167, discipline deat over bowling by Mohit Sharma and Rahul Tewatia helped the hosts hold Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata to 153/6 after Chris Lynn’s aggressive knock of 84 runs. In his knock 52-balls, Lynn smashed eight fours and three sixes to keep the two-times IPL champions in the game, however, with wickets falling from the other end, didn’t let the pressure mount on the Kings XI.
Really proud of the boys for a grt victory.Our spinners spun ball better than few media people spin stories.Picture abhi baaki hai#KXIPvKKR
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 9, 2017
But then came Rahul Tewatia. The little-known leg-spinner came in and got the Kolkata Knight Riders captain in the ninth over. He then claimed the scalp of Robin Uthappa and suddenly, the Knight Riders seem to have fallen off their horsebacks. The presence of Chris Lynn in the middle meant that Kolkata always stood a chance.
Glenn Maxwell and Wriddhiman Saha partnership of 71 runs boosted Punjab’s total to 168 after they lost their top order batsmen for just 56 runs on the board in nine overs. Maxwell fired 25-balls 44 runs which had a boundary and four sixes. His partner on the other end, Saha hit two fours and a six in his 33-balls 38 run knock. Punjab, who have to win all their remaining matches, needed to do something exceptional against the Knight Riders.
Punjab struggled to get going in their innings and their total was made largely due to the belligerence of skipper Glenn Maxwell and the support he got from Wriddhiman Saha. The win takes Kings XI Punjab to 12 points, two points behind Sunrisers Hyderabad in fifth place while Kolkata Knight Riders are second with 16 points.
Here are tweet Praises by the Team Members:
Superb win tonight @lionsdenkxip. What a come back in the field. #KXIP #ipl
— David Miller (@DavidMillerSA12) May 9, 2017
Tewatia's four overs for 18–two wickets and 15 off 8 balls with the bat deserved the Player of the Match award IMHO. #IPL #KXIPvKKR
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/TheGujaratLions/status/862011091563552768
Far too much emphasis on giving the man of the match award to someone from the winning team. Best performance today came from Chris Lynn
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 9, 2017
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