IPL 9 Match 10, Review: Kings XI Punjab earn their first win of the season

Kings XI Punjab earned their first victory of the season after they managed to beat the MS Dhoni-led Rising Pune SuperGiants by 6 wickets. The Punjab side played to their potential and displayed a commendable all-round show.

Batting first after winning toss, Rising Pune SuperGiants propelled to 152/7 with the help of Faf du Plessis’ gritty 53 balls 67 run knock. After losing Ajinkya Rahane (9 from 11 balls) early, Faf du Plessis and Kevin Pietersen stitched a 55 run stand for the 2nd wicket. Du Plessis played the role of the attacking partner in the partnership while Pietersen could add only 15 runs off as many balls.

MS Dhoni tried to experiment by sending Thisara Perera early at No. 4 but the move did not pay as the Sri Lankan all-rounder was dismissed cheaply in a matter of couple of overs. But, RPSG innings found some stability again as Australian skipper Steven Smith and du Plessis teamed up for a bustling 63 run stand. The duo mostly resorted to picking singles and doubles while hitting occasional boundaries.

The hot and humid day was taking a toll on Faf du Plessis who looked totally exhausted due to heat. This made him slow down a bit. Smith, however, shifted gears as the final stages of the innings arrived. His attempt to switch gears was evident in the 17 overs where he holed three boundaries off Kyle Abbott.

However, Mohit Sharma got better of the Australian in the following over with a slower ball. MS Dhoni arrived at the crease with 13 balls remaining but could get the strike only 5 balls later. There was no hit in the innings so far and fans at the Mohali expected Dhoni to end the dry run. Unfortunately, it could happen as Mohit Sharma bowled a fantastic final over where he gave only 3 runs while taking three wickets.

Du Plessis and MS Dhoni were made to depart off consecutive deliveries. Du Plessis top edged a back of the hand slower one to give a high return catch to Sharma. MS Dhoni tried to muscle a full toss to the fence but was caught at the ropes. Sharma finished the over with the wicket of the Irfan Pathan to give a perfect ending to his exceptional spell.

It was a straightforward pursuit for openers Manan Vohra (53 from 49 balls) and Murali Vijay (51 from 33 balls). Both the batsmen, who are in good touch, weaved a match-defining 97 runs partnership for the 1st wicket between them to put the Punjab side in the driver’s seat.

Manan Vohra donned the aggressor’s hat and launched an attack on the opposition right from the start, pummeling the bowlers with ease. Vijay also did not hold himself back and played with measured aggression. The game looked completely in favor of Kings XI Punjab when the duo was in the middle. The pair was eventually separated in the 13th over after Vohra was foxed by Ankit Sharma.

Murugan Ashwin added a bit of spice in the match which looked like a simple affair. Ashwin picked Shaun Marsh and Murali Vijay off the first and the last ball of the 15th over. An over the leggie came back again and removed David Miller to keep the match alive to some extent.

But, Glenn Maxwell, who has been silent so far in the tournament, came in and delivered the knockout punch with his 14 balls 32 run rollicking cameo to finish the match with 6 wickets in hand and 8 balls to spare.

Brief Scores:

Rising Pune Supergiants: 152/7 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 67; Mohit Sharma 3/23)

Kings XI Punjab: 153/4 in 18.4 overs (Manan Vohra 51; Murugan Ashwin 3/36)

Man of the Match: Manan Vohra