IPL 2018, Match 2, KXIP vs DD - Kings XI Punjab Player Ratings

The first game of the IPL 2018 proved to be an absolute thriller. After the thrilling finish in Mumbai, the action moved to Mohali for the second game of the season. A double header was on the cards for the fans and the day game saw Kings XI Punjab lock horns with the Delhi Daredevils. The match was set to be an exciting one with two sides of similar fortunes and history facing off against one another.

Delhi Daredevils, after being asked to bat first, posted a decent 166/7 in their 20 overs. It was their new skipper Gautam Gambhir who led from the front with a brilliant 55. He was well supported by twin cameos of Rishabh Pant and Chris Morris, who scored quick 28 and 27* respectively. For the hosts, Mujeeb ur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/28 to his name.

In the run chase, KL Rahul’s historic fifty set the tone for the Kings XI Punjab. Rahul blasted a 14-ball 50 to put the Kings in the top gear mode. Later, Karun Nair played the anchoring knock to ensure that the Kings were easily over the lines. The Delhi bowlers struggled to get their act going and would hope for an improved show in the game to follow. KXIP won the game by 6 wickets to start things on a high this season.

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

KL Rahul – 9.5/10

KL Rahul was possibly the difference between the two sides on the day. The match could have easily been a closely contested one with DD registering a par score. However, Rahul’s knock put the opposition out of the equation totally. He smashed the fastest fifty in the history of the tournament, taking only 14 deliveries to reach the milestone. He finished with 51 off 16 deliveries with 6 fours and 4 sixes.

Mayank Agarwal – 1/10

Mayank Agarwal arrived in to the game riding on a stellar form in the domestic cricket. Agarwal failed to live up to the expectations on the day though. He hit a six up front but failed to get going thereafter. He could only score 7 on the day before becoming a victim of Chris Morris.

Karun Nair – 9/10

If Rahul’s knock gave the solid impetus to the Kings XI Punjab innings, it was the knock of Karun Nair that provided the anchoring strength. Nair hit a valuable 50 off just 33 deliveries to take the Kings closes to the target. He hit five fours and a couple of sixes during his stay at the crease. The Kings have certainly found a very solid batsman for their middle order this season.

Yuvraj Singh – 2/10

Yuvraj Singh was a big disappointment for the Kings in the game. In a match where the batsmen found it easy to get going, Yuvraj largely struggled with his timing. He could score just 12 runs in the 21 balls that he faced. Earlier in the day, the Kings did not require his services with the ball.

David Miller – 6/10

Veteran batsman David Miller played a very sensible knock on the day. He arrived at a time when the Kings were in firm command of the game. He remained unbeaten on 24 off 23 deliveries with a four to his name. He ensured that he stayed at the crease till the end of the innings.

Marcus Stoinis – 6.5/10

Marcus Stoinis played a very good straight drive off the bowling of Dan Christian on the very first ball that he faced. The shot, albeit it did not go for a four, spoke volumes about his talent. He scored a quick unbeaten 22 off just 15 balls with a couple of fours to his name to see Kings win by 6 wickets.

Axar Patel – 4/10

Axar Patel had a very rough day early on in the innings. Axar was taken for a lot of runs in the very first over that he bowled. He came back strong to dismiss Shreyas Iyer but failed to put a brake on the run flow. He gave away 35 runs in the three overs that he bowled on the day.

Ravichandran Ashwin – 8.5/10

Ravichandran Ashwin had a very good beginning to his captaincy stint in the IPL. Ashwin returned with figures of 1/23 in his quota of four overs. He bowled a lot of leg break deliveries and bowled them with perfection. His lines were immaculate and that is a very good news for the Kings XI Punjab. He dismissed Rahul Tewatia in the match.

Andrew Tye – 3/10

Andrew Tye did not have a very sweet outing on the day. Rishabh Pant targeted him in the middle overs to spoil his numbers in the game. He bowled his complete quota of four overs. Tye failed to pick up a wicket and gave away 38 runs to be very expensive on the day.

Mujeeb ur Rahman – 9/10

Young Mujeeb ur Rahman has made it a habit to pick wickets early on in his spell. The 17-year old Afghanistani lad became the youngest cricketer to play in the IPL. He took just 3 balls to take his first IPL wicket. He dismissed Colin Munro early on in the game. Later, he came back to dismiss Rishabh Pant. Mujeeb finished with figures of 2/28.

Mohit Sharma – 6/10

Mohit Sharma had a decent outing in the match. He started off on a positive note with an economical couple of overs. Later in the game, Chris Morris hit him for a six over long on but Mohit came back strong after that. He dismissed Dan Christian on the last delivery of his spell. He returned with figures of 2/33 in his quota of four overs.

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