April 8, 2018
Brief Scorecard: Kings XI Punjab 167 for 4 (Rahul 51, Nair 50) beat Delhi Daredevils 166 for 7 (Gambhir 55, Mujeeb 2-28) by six wickets
Marauder: K.L. Rahul timed the ball sweetly and also found the gaps in his record-breaking half-century knock.
April 8, 2018
Brief Scorecard: Kings XI Punjab 167 for 4 (Rahul 51, Nair 50) beat Delhi Daredevils 166 for 7 (Gambhir 55, Mujeeb 2-28) by six wickets
Marauder: K.L. Rahul timed the ball sweetly and also found the gaps in his record-breaking half-century knock.
Rahul’s whirlwind fifty adds to Rahman’s exploits with the ball
An overflowing IS Bindra Stadium here witnessed a regal performance from Kings XI Punjab against a hapless Delhi Daredevils in the IPL here on Sunday. Nothing worked for Daredevils, which lost the contest by six wickets to an opposition which played to its strength, underlined superbly by opener K.L. Rahul, who decimated the bowlers by scorching the fastest half-century in IPL history.
Mujeeb ur Rahman lived a glorious dream when he made the biggest impact on this game. It was hard to believe he was making his IPL debut.
The 17-year-old Afghan comes across a confident bowler, sure of his skills, mixing his art with an unpredictable ware, willing to pick up the challenge with the air of a veteran.
The two wickets that Rahman grabbed — Colin Munro with his second ball and the rampaging Rishabh Pant with his 14th — put the shackles on Daredevils’ plans to post a competitive total. Even as skipper Gautam Gambhir tackled the attack judiciously, the lack of substance at the other end was too apparent.
For Daredevils to make a match of it, a target of 166 was always going to be tough given the lack of potency in its attack.
The bowlers had no clue on how to contain Rahul, who made his intentions known straightaway with a delightful assault. He backed himself to stroke the ball, at times adventurously, as Daredevils presented a pitiable sight.
Put in, Daredevils failed to set the tempo. The openers consumed 20 balls before hitting a boundary —Gambhir off-driving Axar Patel, who conceded 17 off his first over. The first PowerPlay fetched Daredevils 45 with 13 dot balls and that defined the trend of the contest.
Daredevils lost Pant and Gambhir when the batsmen appeared to promise more. Pant was foxed into an early swipe by Rahman, who also accounted for Gambhir with a direct hit from short fine-leg.
Rahman had dealt the vital blows and then Rahul took over the job with an electrifying show. He used his reach to loft the ball with authority and played the pull with impeccable timing.
The lanky opener marked his scoring areas well and did not indulge in robust play even though he hit six fours and four sixes.
The dominant element of Rahul’s batting was his exemplary timing and the Daredevils bowlers had no answer to his wide range of shots. As observed by team mentor Virender Sehwag, he is going to be an asset to Kings XI.
Yuvraj Singh disappointed the local fans but Kings XI had Karun Nair to finish the job, which was begun so well by the energetic Rahman.
Courtesy/Source: PTI / The Hindu
