Top 3 wins for Punjab Kings under KL Rahul's captaincy  

Ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2022, KL Rahul declared his decision to end his four-year association with the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Newly-formed IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants pounced on the situation and bagged the Karnataka batter for a whopping INR 17 crore. They also named him as their skipper for the foreseeable future.

Rahul joined PBKS back in 2018 when the Mohali-based franchise bought him for INR 11 crore. He immediately became a crucial member of the franchise thanks to his exploits with the bat. Before taking over the team's leadership in IPL 2020, the right-hander spent two years under Ravichandran Ashwin.

The flamboyant batter showcased his immense talent and always led from the front. As PBKS' captain, Rahul amassed 1,296 runs in just 27 matches at the top of the order, managing an immaculate average of just under 60.

However, he was often labeled the 'one-man army' and didn't have his share of luck, losing a number of matches at the death. During his two years at the helm, PBKS failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing sixth on both occasions. Rahul's win success rate as a skipper was 44.4% with 12 wins in 27 encounters.

In this article, we will look back at the top three wins enjoyed by PBKS under KL Rahul in the IPL.

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#3 Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings | IPL 2021

The partnership between KL Rahul and Punjab concluded on a fruitful note as they comfortably thrashed eventual champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) back in October 2021. The six-wicket victory saw Rahul go berserk in the second innings and score an unbeaten 98 in just 42 balls.

Invited to bat first, CSK could only manage 134-6 despite a valiant effort from Faf du Plessis (76 from 55). Arshdeep Singh and Chris Jordan did well to grab four wickets between them.

The Punjab Kings needed to win by a handsome margin in order to stay in the race for the playoffs and did just that, led by their enigmatic skipper. Rahul dispatched the CSK bowlers to all parts of the Dubai Stadium to bring up a famous victory for his side.

The former RCB batter went all guns blazing from the get-go and helped his side chase down the total in just 13 overs. Rahul's 98 comprised of seven boundaries and as many as eight sixes. Shardul Thakur took three wickets for CSK but they went in vain against Rahul's blitzkrieg.

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#2 Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | IPL 2020

Match 31 of IPL 2020 between the Punjab Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was truly a nerve-wrecking encounter. It was one of several entertaining matches between the two sides during KL Rahul's spell as skipper.

A match with numerous ups and downs ultimately saw Rahul just about manage to keep his side on top. After opting to bat first, Virat Kohli's side piled up 171 runs in their 20 alloted overs, losing six wickets. In response, the duo of Mayank Agarwal and Rahul gave PBKS a brilliant start.

After a 78-run partnership from the openers, former RCB star Chris Gayle joined the party and brought up his half-century with ease. The equation was extremely simple for the KL Rahul-led side as they needed just a couple of runs needed in the ultimate over.

With two set batters at the crease, the game looked to be in the pocket for the batting side. However, with Yuzvendra Chahal bowling extremely well in the last over, PBKS made things worse for themselves. In the first four balls, they could only manage a single run, while losing Gayle on the penultimate delivery.

With one run needed on the last ball, new batsman Nicholas Pooran kept his cool and tonked the ball over long-on for a maximum. While the game seemed one-sided for the large part, it had a dramatic ending in true IPL fashion.

KL Rahul (61*) and Gayle (53) were the two top-scorers for the Punjab Kings but it was Pooran's six off the last ball which sealed a crucial victory.

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#1 Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians - IPL 2020

One of the most historic IPL encounters was between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2020 edition of the cash-rich tournament. The date of October 18, 2020 is iconic in itself as it witnessed three super overs across two matches.

The evening game between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Kolkata Knight Riders ended in a stalemate. KKR eventually picked up the win in a low-scoring Super Over.

The consequent game between PBKS and MI saw not one but two Super Overs. Batting first, the Mumbai-based franchise scored 176 runs, courtesy of Quinton De Kock's 53 and cameos from Kieron Pollard and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

In reply, KL Rahul led from the front yet again and scored a well-made 77 from 51 balls. However, he couldn't manage to get his side over the line and the Punjab-based franchise could only equal their opponents' total.

What followed was a stunning display from two of India's premier pacers. Jasprit Bumrah conceded just five runs from his super over, picking up two wickets. While the match seemed to be in MI's hands, Mohammed Shami delivered a fantastic over himself to limit the opposition to just five runs too.

The game then went into another Super Over, with Pollard and Hardik Pandya managing 11 runs for MI off Chris Jordan's bowling. MI skipper Rohit Sharma then threw the ball to Trent Boult, and the Kiwi was hammered for a six off the first ball by Gayle.

With six runs to get off the next five balls, it took PBKS just three more deliveries. A fantastic stroke off Mayank Agarwal's blade carried the fourth ball to the boundary and sparked wild celebrations in the Punjab Kings camp. The victory was massive as few expected the Kings to defeat the eventual champions, albeit in such dramatic fashion.