IPL  2018, KXIP vs RR: 5 talking points

Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals with six wickets in hand and with eight balls to spare on Sunday to leapfrog Kolkata Kight Riders into third place in the IPL 2018 points table while their opponents' slim chances of securing a playoff spot look all but over.

The margin of victory might indicate a very comfortable win for Ravichandran Ashwin's side but they had a few hiccups along the way and a spirited effort by the Rajasthan bowlers meant the match could have gone either way.

It was KL Rahul's majestic innings of 84 off 54 balls that proved decisive in the end as he guided his team home, deservedly scoring the winnings runs, as they chased down the target of 153 set by the Royals'.

Here are the 5 major talking points from today's contest at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

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#5 Batting woes continue for the Royals'

Rajasthan Royals splashed the cash during the 2018 IPL auction but, on the field, the season has proved to be a dismal one so far for Ajinkya Rahane's side with the skipper himself one of many batsmen who has failed to deliver for the side.

The move to open the innings with Jos Buttler has worked out well for them but the other batsmen have failed to bring in their A game when needed. Sanju Samson has had a few good knocks but the consistency and ability to convert the starts into big knocks is lacking as was proved today as he threw his wicket away after scoring 28.

Ben Stokes' repeated failures have been a cause of concern for Royals and it is indeed a worry that despite the good start provided by Buttler at the top of the order, Royals barely managed to scramble past the 150-run mark.

#4 Spin trio works out well for Kings XI Punjab

Axar Patel bowled brilliantly tonight conceding just 21 runs and picked up a wicket as well

Unknown to many, Axar Patel's first IPL team was Mumbai Indians who signed the left-arm spinner ahead of IPL 2013. Having failed to make an appearance for the franchise, he moved to Kings XI Punjab in 2014 where he had an outstanding tournament picking up 17 wickets as well as the 'Emerging Player of the Year' award.

He has been an ever-present for the side ever since but the arrival of Ravichandran Ashwin and Mujeeb ur Rahman has made the going tough for Patel as he has been forced to sit on the sidelines for many matches during IPL 2018.

However, the Kings XI management has tried out their three frontline spinners together on a few occasions and while it has not always proved to be a successful decision, the plan worked out perfectly tonight.

All three spinners bowled economically as well as picked up wickets to curtail the Royals' scoring and the variety the three has to offer is always an advantage.

Also important is the fact that they are not afraid to bowl in the powerplay overs as well as in the death overs and it is perhaps a strategy that the Kings XI should stick especially considering their lack of options in the fast bowling department.

#3 Jos Buttler scores 2nd consecutive fifty

Jos Butler has benefitted from Royals' decision to make him open the innings for the side

Rajasthan Royals fended off stiff competition from Mumbai Indians to secure Jos Buttler's services for the 2018 IPL but the 27-year-old English wicketkeeper-batsman had a tough start this season, coming into bat lower down the order.

However, the decision to promote him up the order, as an opener to be specific, has worked out wonderfully well for Ajinkya Rahane's side with the destructive batsman scoring his second IPL fifty in as many matches during the match against Kings XI Punjab tonight,

While he scored an 18-ball 50 against Delhi on Wednesday, the twin dismissals of D'Arcy Short and Rahane early on meant that Butler couldn't quite go blazing all out.

Yet, Butler looked solid and assured in his strokeplay as he struck seven boundaries, including 4 off Ankit Rajpoot's first over, on the way to scoring 51 off 39 balls.

He was involved in a 34-run partnership for the second wicket with Rahane and then added 49 for the third wicket with Sanju Samson giving Rajasthan a solid start at the top of the order.

#2 KL Rahul's match-winning knock

KL Rahul's impressive 2018 IPL campaign just keeps getting better and better

KL Rahul has had a splendid IPL 2018 and today's match-winning knock was perhaps his best one so far in the tournament as he led from start to finish to see his side through in a closely-fought contest.

While Kings XI Punjab lost wickets at regular intervals during the run-chase, KL Rahul stood firm at one end, showing that he can also play a sensible knock in addition to the aggressive displays that has been his trademark this season.

With Gayle failing to get going, Rahul knew he had to reign in his attacking instincts and he took on the responsibility of holding one end down while allowing the batsmen around him to go after the bowling.

The strategy worked out well with Rahul dismissing the bad balls that came his way while also looking to keep the scoreboard ticking with his quick running between the wickets.

He had a close call in the 15th over of the Kings XI innings with Sanju Samson's spectacular effort in the field, but with the replays proving inconclusive, Rahul made good use of his luck to finish off the job in style for his side.

#1 Manoj Tiwary and Mayank Agarwal's spectacular relay catch

Agarwal catches the ball before throwing it in the air for Tiwary to complete the stunning catch of Stokes'

With the English pair of Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes at the crease, Rajasthan Royals' fans would have been hoping that the two could combine to propel their side to a big total, especially with the former looking in great touch, approaching a second consecutive IPL fifty.

Stokes, on the other hand, has struggled so far in IPL 2018, but the way he started, it just seemed as if finally the 26-year-old all-rounder was going to have his big innings day.

A boundary wide of the long off fielder and a beautifully executed reverse sweep showed that Stokes was really in his groove but his stay at the crease was cut short thanks to a brilliant relay catch by Kings XI pair of Manoj Tiwary and Mayank Agarwal.

Stokes clobbered Mujeeb Ur Rahman's well-flighted delivery straight back over the bowler's head but it didn't quite have the power behind it to clear Agarwal who was fielding at the long-off boundary.

The 27-year-old caught the ball inches away from the rope but just as he was about to lose balance and go over the rope, he had the presence of mind to parry it to Tiwary who came in running from the long on boundary to complete the catch.

It proved to be a crucial dismissal in the context of the match and the catch will surely be one of the main contenders for the 'Catch of the Season' award at the end of this IPL campaign.

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