It was deja vu in a bad way for Kings XI Punjab, as yet another 104 (60b, 8x4, 5x6) from Hashim Amla went in vain as it slumped to a six-wicket loss to Gujarat Lions.
The defeat has now put a serious dent on its qualification hopes for the playoffs.
If it was Jos Butler’s 37-ball 77 for Mumbai Indians in Indore that blunted Amla’s first ton, on Sunday Dwayne Smith finally found form at the top of the order bludgeoning 74 off just 39 balls with eight fours and four sixes.
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Lucky
It did not help that Punjab was being far too gracious in its hospitality dropping Smith twice (on 42 and 51) and then Suresh Raina once (on 36).
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Smith’s innings helped Lions go past 100 by the 10th over and cameos from skipper Raina and wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik was enough to post its fourth win of the season.
Earlier, Amla’s ton helped Punjab post a competitive 189 with Shaun Marsh chipping in with a valuable half-century.
The South African put on a 125-run partnership with Shaun Marsh for the second wicket after losing Martin Guptill in the first over.
Amla started off with some fine drives but kept finding the fielders. He was even lucky when he was dropped by Jadeja off Basil Thampi — a tough chance with Jadeja diving to his right — when he was on just 12.
The former South Africa Test skipper, however, persevered with a few boundaries off the pads and got to his fifty off 35 balls but again lost momentum.
Finally he picked one slower delivery from Kulkarni and despatched it over long-on for his third six to find his mojo back. Off the next 12 balls he put on show his classical hitting, scoring 28 runs with three fours and two more sixes.
In the final over, Amla used his magical wrists to find the fence twice — the second one a clean drive over the top of covers for a six to get to his century.
Electing to field, Lions who have not defended a total, once again struggled with its weak bowling unit.
Kulkarni was the pick of the Lions bowlers as he took pace off his deliveries while maintaining a tight line.
The other bowlers did vary their pace but couldn’t get the line right consistently and paid the price, leaking runs.