RCB vs. KXIP: Kings XI Punjab Finally Finds A Way To Win After Chris Gayle And KL Rahul’s Six Hit Competition | Cricket news

SHARJAH: KL Rahul played a captain’s stroke and Chris Gayle fired in his first game since January as Kings XI Punjab finally ended his five-game losing streak with an eight wickets victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore at an IPL game on Thursday.
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Chasing 172 in a must-win game, the starting pair in the form of Rahul (61 not 49) and Mayank Agarwal (45 of 25) got off to a good start before Gayle (53 of 45) joined her patron in the middle to bring KXIP closer to the finish line.
Needing seven of the last two overs with nine wickets in hand, KXIP somehow managed to take the game to the last ball with Nicholas Pooran finally hitting the six winners.
Both Rahul and Gayle crushed five sixes each, leaving the opposition attack defenseless.

Bat first, pattern virat Kohli best scored with 48 of 39 balls in his 200th game for RCB before Chris Morris 25 of 8 in the death overs led the team to 171 of six.
It was an exceptional and comprehensive effort from KXIP, which failed to close games early in the competition.
Mohammad Shami (2/45) conceded 24 runs in the final over which spoiled his numbers after he got rid of Kohli and AB de Villiers, but overall it was a much better bowling effort by KXIP, especially in the death overs. .

Leg spinner M Ashwin struck twice and pacemaker Chris Jordan took his first wicket of the tournament.
The race chase was supposed to be straightforward after Agarwal led the opposition to the cleaners in the power play before Rahul took over. As usual, the 41-year-old Gayle, hitting all three, took his time early on before freaking out.
Previously, KXIP conceded just 25 runs from 16-19 before Morris and Isuru Udana beat Shami for three sixes.
Rahul experimented with opening the bowling alley with Glenn Maxwell (0/28 in 4 overs). He was swept by his Australian teammate and close friend Aaron Finch on the last ball.

Another starter Devdutt Padikkal (18) also went for his shots with his best hit of the night being Shami’s whip which went for a six on the deep square leg.
However, both Padikkal and Finch couldn’t take advantage of their beginnings. Padikkal was duped by a slower left arm pacemaker Arshdeep Singh into being caught under cover, while Finch missed a quick leg rest from M Ashwin, leaving RCB at 62 for two in the seventh.
With Kohli looking good at the other end, AB de Villiers was expected to enter his usual number four spot, but with two spinning legs in operation, left-handed hitter Washington Sundar was sent ahead of the South African.

The move didn’t work as he fought for 13 of 14 balls.
KXIP, whose bowling alley has been the weakest link, did quite well with 11-14 overs conceding just 20 runs to pressure the opposition.
RCB needed to keep going and left-hander Shivam Dube provided the timely blow, sending Ravi Bishnoi to six straight to rack up 19 runs from the finish.
Following Dube’s firing on the 15th, De Villiers finally joined Kohli for the late assault, which was eventually provided by Morris.