IPL 2020: Pooran, Gayle among the runs as Kings XI stay alive

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) registered their third win on the bounce after they beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by five wickets in Match 38 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in Dubai on Tuesday.

Needing 165 runs to win, KXIP lost their first wicket in the third over as KL Rahul got out for 15 in the third over off Axar Patel’s bowling.

While DC kept the things tight as KXIP could score not more than 24 in the first four overs, Chris Gayle opened his shoulders and hammered three fours and two sixes in the fifth over bowled by Tushar Deshpande to take KXIP to fifty.

DC introduced R Ashwin in the attack in the final over of the Powerplay and the move worked immediately as he got Gayle out for 29. DC struck for the second time in the over as Mayank Agarwal was run-out following a mix-up with Nicholas Pooran.

KXIP could have lost another wicket through a run-out in Ashwin’s next over as Pooran and Glenn Maxwell were involved in a mix-up, but Maxwell survived. Pooran then creamed a six and followed it with two fours – first off an inside edge and then via a powerful pull – in the ninth over.

KXIP moved past 100 in the 10th over as Pooran, continuing his big-hitting ways, targeted Marcus Stoinis, hitting a four and a six.

The Pooran-Maxwell duo completed the fifty-run partnership in the 11th over. A couple of overs later, Pooran brought up his half-century but got out in the same over after edging one to Rishabh Pant off Kagiso Rabada’s bowling.

With 18 needed off 26 balls, KXIP lost Maxwell after Pant held on to a fine running catch as Rabada picked his second wicket of the match.

While Deepak Hooda got a reprieve in the penultimate over, Jimmy Neesham hit a six in the same over and made sure KXIP seal a win with an over to spare.

Earlier, DC made three changes to their playing XI as Rishabh Pant and Shimron Hetmyer returned to the team while Daniel Sams made his IPL debut. Meanwhile, KXIP brought in Jimmy Neesham in the team.

Shikhar Dhawan took off from where he had left in the last game and hit a four and a six in the first over to set the ball rolling for DC. KXIP, though scalped their first wicket after Jimmy Neesham got Prithvi Shaw out for seven in the fourth over.

However, DC continued to score at a brisk pace, courtesy. The left-hander hit a six in the fourth over and followed it up with three fours in the next before taking DC past fifty in the final over of the Powerplay.

In the ninth over, Dhawan moved past his fourth successive fifty-plus score in the tournament. However, DC lost Shreyas Iyer in the same over after KL Rahul took a fine catch down the leg-side off Murugan Ashwin.

At the halfway stage, DC were 83-2, with Dhawan batting on 56 and Rishabh Pant on four. Three overs later, DC moved past 100 as Dhawan became the fifth player in the history of the tournament to complete 5000 runs.

Glenn Maxwell helped KXIP pick their third wicket after he had Pant caught at long-on in the 14th over.

Meanwhile, Dhawan continued his merry ways with the bat as the left-hander moved into the 90s in the 17th over. DC lost Marcus Stoinis in the next over off Mohammad Shami’s bowling.

In the next over, Dhawan created history as he became the first batsman to score two successive IPL hundreds. The left-hander, who had scored a ton in DC’s last game against Chennai Super Kings, brought up his hundred in 57 balls.

DC eventually posted 164-5 on the board, with Dhawan scoring an unbeaten 106 off 61 balls, hitting 12 fours and three sixes. (IPL)

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