In a low-scoring encounter, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) outfoxed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 12 runs in the 43rd match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on Saturday.
Chasing a paltry target of 127, Sunrisers started pretty well. The opening pair of Jonny Bairstow (19) and David Warner (35) stitched together a crucial stand of 56 runs.
Both Warner and Bairstow were looking set to cruise through, but Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin had some other plans. Both the spinners dismissed the SRH opening duo in successive overs.
Soon, Mohammed Shami joined the fun by removing Abdul Samad (7), reducing SRH to 67 for 3.
Manish Pandey (15) and Vijay Shankar (26), who guided SRH to a fantastic victory against RR in their previous match, tried to continue the same momentum. The pair stabilised the innings by adding 33 runs for the fourth wicket before Chris Jordan dismissed Pandey in the 17th over.
KXIP bowlers got the momentum as in the very next over, Arshdeep Singh got the prized wicket of Shankar.
Jordan came to bowl the penultimate over and sent shockwaves to SRH camp by claiming two back-to-back wickets in the form of Jason Holder (5) and Rashid Khan (0).
SRH needed 14 to win in the final over, but Arshdeep did an amazing job for KXIP. He conceded just one run and picked up three wickets as KXIP were bundled out on 114 with one ball to spare.
Lowest totals successfully defended by KXIP in IPL:
- 119 vs MI in Durban, 2009
- 126 vs SRH in Dubai, 2020
- 132 vs KKR in Abu Dhabi, 2014
With the victory, KXIP reached fifth place in the points table.
Disciplined bowling by SRH restricted KXIP to 126/7
Earlier, an all-round bowling performance by Sunrisers helped them to restrict KXIP at 126/7. SRH pacer Sandeep Sharma provided the first breakthrough in the form of Mandeep Singh (17), who opened the innings with skipper KL Rahul.
Chris Gayle (20) joined Rahul in the middle and added 29 runs for the second wicket before Holder dismissed Gayle in the 10th over.
In the very next over, Rashid joined the party by sending Rahul (27) back into the dugout with a beauty.
After the two quick wickets, Nicholas Pooran (32) and Glenn Maxwell (12) tried to stabilise the innings, but Sandeep didn’t let that happen. He removed Maxwell in the 14th over. Punjab kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and in the end, they posted only 126/7 on the scoreboard.
For SRH, Rashid, Holder and Sandeep, all three bowlers bagged two wickets each. Rashid was also the least expensive bowler for his side. He conceded only 14 runs in his four overs at an economy of 3.50.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
Well well well ! I told you this team has got some momentum going @lionsdenkxip has snatched that game out of @SunRisers hands That’s what happens if you don’t go ahead of the run rate in a low scoring game ! Tables getting interesting 🤔? #KXIPvSRH #IPL2020
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) October 24, 2020
Story of the tournament #KXIP
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) October 24, 2020
What a victory @lionsdenkxip! Cricket is truly a mystery! As they say nothing is done in a game of cricket until the last ball is bowled! Absolute brilliant team effort from the Punjab boys! #KXIPvSRH #IPL
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) October 24, 2020
#SRH losing 7 wickets for 15 runs in the last 4 overs. They for sure dug a grave for themselves. #IPL2020
— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) October 24, 2020
Amazing amazing effort !!!
Big up boys 👊🏽👊🏽🔥 #SaddaPunjab #SRHvsKXIP— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) October 24, 2020
Arshdeep what a star 🌟 for kings 11 @lionsdenkxip well done
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 24, 2020
Himmat na haaro ke prime example @lionsdenkxip #IPL2020 #Arshdeepsingh #Jordan #nicholaspooran
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 24, 2020
Catches win matches thats what exactly happened when #Suchith took that brilliant catch of Manish Pandey. Turning point of the match!! #SRHvKXIP #IPL2020 @IPL @lionsdenkxip
— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) October 24, 2020
Shocking. KXIP managed to finish the match with one ball remaining. #KXIPvSRH
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) October 24, 2020
Well played, @lionsdenkxip. That was some fight back. #KXIPvSRH #OrangeArmy #KeepRising
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) October 24, 2020
Sunrisers Hyderabad lost to Kings XI Punjab in the IPL for the first time under David Warner's captaincy.
Warner led SRH in seven IPL games against KXIP before this match and scored fifties in all those seven. #IPL2020 #KXIPvSRH
— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) October 24, 2020
#KXIP has pulled of an amazing win that seemed nearly impossible through the half way mark !! Scintillating game !arshdeepsingh ,Jordan ,Bishnoi and the rest of the bowling line up were to good . All in all it was bowlers show tonight. #SRHvsKXIP #IPL2020
— Mithun Manhas (@MithunManhas) October 24, 2020
There isn’t a dull moment when #KXIP plays…even when they score 126 in 20 overs. THE most entertaining team of #IPL2020 is Kings from Punjab. More power to them…
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 24, 2020
Terrific death bowling from Arshdeep Singh and Chris Jordan #KXIPvsSRH #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/mEJ0jRFZt2
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) October 24, 2020
A dramatic collapse!#IPL2020 #SRH #SRHvsKXIP pic.twitter.com/vuAOeaslgA
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) October 24, 2020
🔥UNBELIEVABLE WIN FOR KINGS XI PUNJAB!🔥
Chris Jordan takes 3-17 as #SRH collapse to 114 all out#KXIP win by 12 runs!
4 wins in a row for KL Rahul's team – they go above #SRH into 5th place!#IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/oZGiglEnBU
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 24, 2020
Chris Jordaar! 1-1-W-W-1-0 👏🏻#SaddaPunjab #IPL2020 #KXIP #KXIPvSRH pic.twitter.com/80qzfYFo0m
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) October 24, 2020
Must say, @lionsdenkxip have been the most entertaining team this #IPL2020!
So many close games, Super Overs, close wins.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) October 24, 2020