Table-toppers Kings XI Punjab plundered 46 runs in the last three of their innings to finish with a competitive 179 for four in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals here tonight.
Asked to bat first, the Punjab outfit upped the ante towards the end after being 133 for four at the end of 17th over, with the in-form David Miller and skipper George Bailey remaining not outs on 29 and 26 respectively at the PCA Stadium. Shaun Marsh top-scored with 40, which included five hits to the fence.
Kings XI Punjab were off to a brisk start with Virender Sehwag dealing in boundaries, but the opener got out just when he was threatening to notch up a big score. He was caught by Vikramjeet Malik off the bowling of James Faulkner for 18 off just eight balls.
It looked like a soft dismissal as Sehwag played a bit too early and ended up getting a tame top edge for the mid-on fielder to complete a simple catch.
Manan Vohra too kept the scoreboard ticking and raced to 25 off 20 balls, when Stuart Binny ran the batsman out.
Both Sehwag and Vohra hit three fours each and a six apiece. After KIXP lost their second wicket with the score reading 54 in the seventh over, a 59-run partnership ensued between Shaun Marsh and Wriddhiman Saha.
Marsh played some good shots during his 35-ball knock and completed 4000 runs in all forms of T20 cricket. The Australian struck five fours and one six, before he was done in by a slower ball from Vikramjeet Malik.
There was a brief interruption due to rain and after play resumed, Kings XI Punjab lost Saha, who was out to a well judged catch by Ajinkya Rahane in the deep off the bowling of Rahul Tewatia. The wicketkeeper-batsman made 27 off 20 balls with the help of four boundaries.
After that, Miller and Bailey got together and hit three towering sixes and a four between them to prop up the innings.
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