It didn’t take too long for Chris Gayle to find his feet, with the veteran Windies batsman firing in his very first appearance for KXIP in the 2020 IPL.
Gayle’s 53 proved to be crucial as Kings XI Punjab sealed a last-ball win by eight wickets over Royal Challengers Bangalore. The left-hander’s half-century, along with an unbeaten 61 from skipper KL Rahul, saw KXIP cruise for a large part of their chase of 172 before Nicholas Pooran applied the finishing touches with a six.
Earlier, Bangalore had been restricted to 171-6 despite a 48 from captain Virat Kohli. Leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin was instrumental to Punjab’s efforts with the ball and his wickets of Aaron Finch and Washington Sundar were decisive.
RCB’s decision to send in AB de Villiers turned out to be a baffling one, with the batting side losing momentum towards the ends of the innings in Sharjah.
It was a night to forget for Bangalore pacer Mohammed Siraj, who leaked 44 runs in three overs during KXIP’s successful run chase.
