Coming in at the fall of Yusuf Pathan when his team was tottering at 19 for 2 in the third over in chase of 167 for a win, Watson plundered five sixes in his 49-ball innings to help his side bounce back after their comprehensive nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Delhi Daredevils in their first match.

The Australian all-rounder fittingly hit the winning runs, a four off S Sreesanth, to raise 168 for four for his team with 11 balls to spare. He changed the complexion of the game after his side began on a disastrous note with opener Mohammad Kaif dismissed by Sreesanth’s first ball and second over of the innings and next man in Yusuf Pathan felling cheaply for just seven to Brett Lee.

Watson was menacing throughout the innings and hit two sixes off James Hopes and one each off Piyush Chawla, Sreesanth and Wilkin Mota, besides five fours from his blade. Young Ravindra Jadeja contributed a valuable 25-ball 36 with the help of five boundaries and a six.

Crucial alliances
Watson shared two crucial partnerships, first a 39-ball 51 with fellow Australian Darren Lehmann (17) for the fourth wicket and the unseparated 36-ball 69 with Jadeja.

Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who took field within hours of landing in India, played a cameo of 15 from 10 balls which included a huge six off Lee, before perishing to Hopes.
For the Punjab side, Lee, Sreesanth, Hopes and Irfan Pathan claimed a wicket each. Earlier, Royals captain Shane Warne produced a supreb spell of 3 for 19 to restrict the Punjab side to 166 for eight.

The Australian spin legend’s act of leading from the front overshadowed a chancy but strokeful half-century by his opposite number Yuvraj Singh (57) who won the toss and decided to bat first. The visitors would have been in a worse position had Yuvraj not been dropped twice when he was on 15 and 27, the first time off Warne and the second off Siddarth Trivedi. Warne, however, removed Yuvraj, trapping him in front of the wicket. Yuvraj struck 27 fours and three huge sixes in his 34-ball innings.

Warne also cut short Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara’s explosive but short innings of 20 made from eight balls and studded with six fours, besides removing opener James Hopes (16). The other opener — Karan Goel — had promised a lot at the top of order with two huge sixes off Munaf Patel who, however, had the last laugh clean bowling the young Punjab batsman for 26 (3x4, 2x6). India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla made a late flourish with an unbeaten 11-ball 24 to take to a competitive score.

SCORE BOARD

KINGS XI PUNJAB: Karan Goel b Patel 26; James Hopes lbw Warne 16; Kumar Sangakkara c&b Warne 20; Mahela Jayawardene st Akmal b Salunkhe 2; Yuvraj Singh lbw Warne 57; Irfan Pathan b Trivedi 12; Sunny Sohal (run out) 4; Brett Lee c Akmal b Trivedi 0; Piyush Chawla (not out) 24; Wilkin Mota (not out) 1; Extras (LB-1, W-1, NB-1) 4; Total (for 8 wickets in 20 overs) 166.
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-56, 3-63, 4-72, 5-135, 6-135, 7-135, 8-148.
Bowling: Munaf Patel 4-0-36-1, Shane Watson 4-0-39-0, Siddharth Trivedi 4-0-25-2, Shane Warne 4-0-19-3, Salunkhe 2-0-20-1, Pankaj Singh 1-0-12-0.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Mohammad Kaif c Sangakkara b Sreesanth 5; Kamran Akmal c Chawla b Hopes 15; Yusuf Pathan c&b Lee 7; Shane Watson (not out) 76; Darren Lehmann lbw Pathan 17; Ravindra Jadeja (not out) 36; Extras (LB-2, W-6, NB-4) 12; Total (For four wickets in 18.1 overs) 168.
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-19, 3-48, 4-99.
Bowling: Brett Lee 4-0-35-1, Sreesanth 3.1-0-38-1, James Hopes 4-0-33-1, Irfan Pathan 4-0-21-1, Piyush Chawla 2-0-27-0, Wilkin Mota 1-0-12-0.