IPL 2018, Match 16, KXIP vs SRH - Kings XI Punjab Player Ratings

The Kings XI Punjab registered a very good win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mohali. Coming in to the game, the Sunrisers were the favorites to win the match. They were the only unbeaten side in the competition this season. Hence, to overhaul their winning spirit, some herculean effort was needed. And on the day when it was needed, the big man Chris Gayle stepped up to play a mighty big knock.

Chris Gayle slammed his 6th IPL ton and his 21st in the shortest format of the game on the day. Having opened the innings, he hammered an unbeaten 104 off just 63 deliveries with a boundary and eleven sixes in the game. His knock, combined with some cameos from the batsmen who batted around him on the day, helped the Kings post 193/3 on the board.

In the run chase, Sunrisers were jolted early with Shikhar Dhawan getting retired hurt in the very first over. The wickets of Wriddhiman Saha and Yusuf Pathan fell soon after. Kane Williamson (54) tried his best to keep his side in the race. Manish Pandey also chipped in with an unbeaten 57 in the game. But eventually, the visitors fell short by 15 runs and Kings XI Punjab registered yet another win this season.

Here are the Kings XI Punjab player ratings for the match:

KL Rahul – 2/10

KL Rahul has been the most prolific batsman for the Kings XI Punjab this year. His form has been sensational and the team hoped for a great start coming from his willow in the game. But Rahul looked struggling on the day and could not get the initial spark. He could only score 18 off the 21 balls that he faced on the day.

Chris Gayle – 9.5/10

Chris Gayle played a near perfect knock on the say. If there was someone who could take the game away from the Sunrisers on the day, then it was Chris Gayle. And he ended up doing so. Gayle powerpacked an unbeaten 104 off just 63 deliveries with a four and eleven maximums on the day. He dominated the major part of the KXIP innings in the game.

Mayank Agarwal – 3/10

One will have to say that Mayank Agarwal is digging his own grave. The youngster has been in such a fine form this season. But every time he gets a good start, he ends up throwing his wicket away. The story was no different today either as he only scored 18 off 9 deliveries.

Karun Nair – 6/10

Karun Nair played a good second fiddle to Chris Gayle in the second half of the innings. Also, he chipped in with some boundaries to keep the scorecard moving. Nair scored 31 off 21 deliveries with three fours and a six to his name in the match.

Aaron Finch – 5/10

Aaron Finch walked in to the game with some serious pressure on him. His previous two knocks had yielded two golden ducks. And on this day, he only had a handful of deliveries left to leave an imprint. Finch did pretty well to score an unbeaten 14 off 6 deliveries to finish things on a high for the Kings XI Punjab.

Yuvraj Singh – Not Assigned

Yuvraj Singh did not have a major role to play in the game. His services with the bat were not needed on the day. On the field, he performed decently in the Kings outfit.

Andrew Tye – 9/10

Andrew Tye was the most impressive bowler for the Kings on the day. He returned with figures of 2/23 in his spell of four overs. Tye accounted for the two big wickets of Kane Williamson and Deepak Hooda. At one stage, Williamson looked like guiding and rebuilding the chase well. But Tye got his wicket and brought things back in the favor of the hosts.

Ravichandran Ashwin – 4/10

Ravichandran Ashwin did not have a great day with the ball. He failed to take wickets and contain the opposition batsmen. In the four overs that he bowled, he conceded 53 runs. However, his decisions as a captain were sheer genius on the day – from electing to bat first to giving Barinder Sran and extended run – all moves worked in the favor of the hosts.

Mohit Sharma – 6/10

Mohit Sharma provided the first two breakthroughs for the Kings in the match. He cleaned up Wriddhiman Saha in the very first over that he bowled. Later, he dismissed the dangerous Yusuf Pathan on 19. In his final two overs, he was taken away for quite a lot of runs. He finished with figures of 2/51 in his four overs.

Barinder Sran – 7/10

Barinder Sran got some serious assistance with the new ball on the day. In the very first over, he injured Shikhar Dhawan – the most consistent batsman of the opposition side in the tournament. Albeit he did not get a wicket, he kept things very tight in the game. He gave just 22 runs in the four overs that he bowled.

Mujeeb Rahman – 5/10

Mujeeb has been the dark horse for the Kings XI Punjab this season. The batsmen have failed to pick him and hence, he often contributes with quiet overs. He went wicketless on the day but ensured that the runs did not leak from his end. He gave just 27 runs in his four overs.

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