Rahul, Gayle on fire versus RCB
NEW DELHI: A Chris Morris cameo barely papered over the cracks left by the performance of an experimental RCB batting order but it wasn’t enough to stop Kings XI from registering an eight-wicket win KL Rahul anchored with two successive fifty-plus stands. Giving Rahul company were two of his oldest mates—Mayank Agarwal, who he knows since his teens, and Chris Gayle, who he has played with previously at RCB. On a two-paced Sharjah pitch where shot-making is starting to look difficult, Rahul didn’t lose faith in his partners, confident that the jail-breaking shot would be around the corner.
Between the two, Agarwal was more fluent, setting up KXIP’s chase with a 25-ball 45. Gayle, who had last played competitive cricket on January 15, struggled a bit but once Washington Sundar erred in length, he planted forward his front foot and announced his arrival with a six over Sundar’s head. Despite the last-over drama, it was a comfortable chase. But it may not have been if RCB had not shuffled the batting order and sent AB de Villiers at No 6.
With three KXIP spinners operating—M Ashwin stood out with 2/23—it was imperative de Villiers got the maximum time, especially at a venue where he had scored 73 off 33 against KKR three days back. But by the time he arrived, RCB were left with just four overs. Pressed to get on, de Villiers lasted five balls, scoring two. Sent ahead of de Villiers, Sundar got 13 off 14 balls and Dube 23 off 19. The only plausible explanation behind this shuffle could be that RCB wanted to keep the left-hand-right hand combination going against spinners. It misfired and RCB finished with the lowest first-innings total of this IPL at Sharjah. Brief scores: RCB 171/6 (Kohli 48; M Ashwin 2/23). KXIP 177/2 (KL Rahul 61*, Gayle 53, M Agarwal 45). KXIP won by 8 wkts.