An outstanding knock from KL Rahul and a fabulous bowling performance helped KXIP beat RCB by 97 runs on Thursday. The 6th match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings Eleven Punjab will always be remembered for KL Rahul heroics at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The skipper hit 14 fours and 7 sixes en route to an unbeaten 132 off 69 balls. His knock powered his side to a mammoth 206-run total in the first innings.
KXIP openers, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, made a strong start to the innings, having gone past 50-run mark in just 6 overs. Falling short of option, Virat Kohli, once again, turned to Yuzvendra Chahal and the latter obliged immediately. The leggie got ride of Mayank with a googly in his first over. Shivam Dube later accounted for the wickets of Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell and helped RCB pulled the game a bit.
However, the star of the match, KL Rahul fired on all cylinders in the last couple of overs to take KXIP past 200-run mark at the end of 20 overs.
RCB, in reply, got off to the worst possible start. A stellar spell of overs in powerplay from Shami and Cottrell left KXIP reeling at 4 for 3 inside 3 overs. The West Indies seamer got rid of Padikkal early. Josh Phillippe got out in the second over. Virat Kohli, who had a bad day on the field, didn’t last too long as RCB were reeling at 4 for 3 inside 3 overs.
Aaron Finch and AB De Villiers did stay at the crease for some period of time. The duo stitched 49-run partnership between them before Finch got out to a googly from Bishnoi. RCB eventually lost the game by 97 runs in the end.
