IPL 2018, KXIP vs SRH: Hits and Misses

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) broke the trend of opting to field first after winning the toss as Ravichandran Ashwin won the toss and surprised everybody by opting to bat first against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their third home game.

Against a strong SRH bowling attack, KXIP were off to a sedate start as they scored just 13 in their first three overs.

But Chris Gayle started to open the shoulders and despite losing KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, the big Jamaican was on the attack.

He struck the first hundred of this season IPL and sent the ball to all corners of the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

After Gayle’s 104 and cameos from Karun Nair and Aaron Finch, KXIP ended with 193.

Chasing a huge score, SRH were dealt with a massive blow as Shikhar Dhawan had to retire hurt after being struck just below the left elbow.

Wriddhiman Saha’s form didn’t improve as he was dismissed in the second over. Yusuf Pathan was promoted but he failed as well.

Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey tried to help SRH come back in the game, but 193 was always going to be a tough chase.

With this 15-run victory, KXIP have gone up to six points and are third on the points table.

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#5 Hit: Andrew Tye

Andrew Tye was very good and offered great control.

Andrew Tye hasn’t quite been noticed in this season. Tye had a dream debut where he took a hat-trick and a fifer last year.

He was considered as one of the better death bowlers and hence, he was bought by KXIP for Rs 7.2 crore in the auction this year.

Tye has been a little expensive this season but he has picked up some key wickets. With SRH chasing 194 in this game, Tye kept things very tidy.

He bowled with very good control and used his variations to great effect. He finished with figures of 2/23 in four overs and was KXIP’s best bowler. He got the wickets of Williamson and Deepak Hooda and played a big role in helping Punjab restrict SRH to 178.

#4 Miss: Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan went for 55 runs in his four overs, which is the most that he has conceded in a T20 game.

The rise of Rashid Khan has been phenomenal. He’s been one of the most difficult bowlers to face in limited-overs cricket in recent times.

Batsmen have time and again failed to pick him. After a successful debut IPL, SRH used their RTM card for the Afghanistan star for a whopping sum of Rs 9 crore.

Khan has been very good in this IPL and despite not taking a lot of wickets, he has kept the batsmen in check. However, after three good games, the 19-year-old went the distance as he bore the brunt of a rampaging Gayle.

He came into bowl in the fifth over of the innings and was hit for two sixes. But after an expensive first over, the Afghanistan leggie came back well as he picked up the wicket of KL Rahul and conceded just two runs in his second over.

But Gayle got stuck into Khan in his third over as the West Indian opener smashed him for four consecutive sixes.

He came back to bowl in the final over and this time he was hit for a four and a six by Aaron Finch as the 19-year-old leggie was taken for 13 runs in his final over.

His figures were 1/55 in four overs as the No. 1 T20I bowler (and the No. 2 ODI bowler) was taken for plenty and had a rare off-day.

#3 Hit: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an economy of 6.25 in this game.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is undoubtedly one of the best bowlers going around in the IPL. He has won the Purple Cap in the last two seasons.

He’s been in very good form even in this IPL. He had figures of 1/30 and 3/26 in the last two games he’s played.

In this game, he started off brilliantly. He gave just two runs in the first over before giving just five in his second over.

The 28-year-old pacer then came back in the 16th over and an eight-run over when Gayle was going great guns.

He then dismissed Karun Nair in his final over and ended with figures of 1/25 in his four overs.

He was easily SRH’s best bowler as he used his variations to great effect. In what was carnage in Mohali, Bhuvi conceded only two boundaries (one four and one six) in his four-over spell.

Hence, on a day to forget for SRH bowlers, Kumar once again was the standout bowler for his team.

#2 Miss: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin was taken for more than 50 runs in his 4 overs.

Ravichandran Ashwin has brought a much-needed change to the Kings XI outfit this year. His captaincy has been refreshing and effective.

With the ball, he’s been trying quite a few things. He is constantly bowling leg-spin and has performed decently.

He mostly bowls leg-spin to right-handers while he switches back to off-spin for left-handers.

In this game, for a change, Ashwin didn’t come onto bowl in the powerplay. However, he was taken for runs in the four overs he bowled.

Every over he bowled went for more than 10 runs as he conceded 53. Williamson and Manish Pandey picked most of his variations and the duo struck boundaries at will against Ashwin before Shakib Al Hasan smashed the Tamil Nadu spinner for a couple of sixes in the final over.

Ashwin the bowler had an off day as he failed to pick up a wicket and also went for more than 13 runs per over.

#1 Hit: Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle won his second consecutive Man of the Match after his bludgeoning ton.

Gayle has set the IPL on fire. In this game, he became the first centurion of this season. Remember, he was one of the last players to be picked in the auction this year.

After a blistering 63 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gayle began slowly. He looked cautious at the start as he scored just three off his first eight deliveries.

But he got going by hitting Chris Jordan for a six and a four in the fourth over before hitting Khan for a couple of sixes. Despite losing Rahul and Agarwal, the 38-year-old West Indian kept going.

The big Jamaican got to his second successive fifty in 39 balls, but it was only after that the onslaught started.

He hit Khan for four consecutive sixes in the 14th over of the innings. And then in the 19th over, the Universe Boss brought up his sixth IPL and 21st T20 hundred.

His second fifty came in just 19 balls as he smashed the SRH bowlers all around the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

Gayle’s unbeaten 104 which comprised of 11 sixes and just 1 four took KXIP to a very good score of 193.

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