One of the fascinating features of this IPL has been R. Ashwin’s captaincy. His tactics helped Kings XI Punjab restrict Rajasthan Royals to a modest total of 152 before K.L. Rahul came up with another superb innings to take his team to a six-wicket win at the Holkar Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.
The win was not just a most welcome one — after two straight losses — for the Punjab men but it took them to the third spot as well.
Royals, on the other hand, find themselves at the bottom after their third straight loss. Rahane’s men must have known that they would have to create history when Ashwin put them in. No IPL match had been won here batting first.
It was Rahul who ensured that the record remained intact with an unbeaten 84 (54b, 7x4, 3x6). The only other Kings batsman to go beyond 30 was Karun Nair (31). Rahul had suffered quite a few anxious moments, though. When he was on 41, Sanju Samson’s diving catch at point off a much-improved Jaydev Unadkat had to be reviewed several times before Rahul was given not out. There was no stopping him after that.
Earlier, it wasn’t the best of starts for the Rajasthan side. Ashwin removed D’Arcy Short with the third ball of the innings, the left-hander’s attempt to hit the off-spinner out of the ground going only as far as Andrew Tye at mid-on.
The other opener, Rahane, didn’t last long either; he was smartly picked up by Chris Gayle, diving forward at backward point, off Axar Patel.
At 35 for two, Royals needed a steady partnership from opener Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson, the men in form. They added 49 before Samson, not for the first time in this tournament, perished pulling a short ball. He hit Tye straight down Karun’s throat at deep square-leg.
That brought to the middle the most expensive player of this IPL, but Ben Stokes could make only 12 before he became the victim of a superb joint effort in the deep: Mayank Agarwal, at long-off, caught the ball and sensing he might go over the rope showed exceptional judgement and relayed the ball to Manoj Tiwary at long-on.
Buttler, who reached his second successive fifty and on whom the visiting side’s hopes of a formidable total rested, was dismissed by the talented and mysterious tweaker from Afghanistan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
The Englishman’s endeavour to cut was neatly picked up behind the stumps by Rahul.
Mujeeb’s beauty
Mujeeb’s next ball was a beauty which spun sharply to clean up Jofra Archer. But for Shreyas Gopal’s 16-ball 24, Royals may not even have lasted the full 20 overs.
Mujeeb was indeed the pick of the bowlers. He and the other spinners were used as an attacking option by Ashwin, the skipper’s ploy paying off.
