Ravichandran Ashwin and opener KL Rahul played pivotal roles as Kings XI Punjab produced a superb all-round performance to script a comfortable 12-run win over Rajasthan Royals. However, besides his bowling duties, Ashwin also excelled with the bat as he took Dhawal Kulkarni to task in the last over of the KXIP innings.

Earlier, KL Rahul scored a brilliant half century and he was supported well by Chris Gayle and David Miller as both of them got good starts but failed to convert them into anything big. But, with KXIP losing four wickets in the 18th and 19th over, it seemed like they will end up short of a competitive total at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

However, skipper R Ashwin had some other ideas. The all-rounder came out as Kulkarni dismissed the well-set Miller on the first ball of the 20th over. The skipper, however, did not take any time in adjusting to the conditions and sliced the next ball wide of backward point to score a much-needed boundary. The next two balls yielded just two singles for the hosts but Mujeeb Ur Rahman made sure that Ashwin regained the strike.

The fifth ball of the over was an attempted yorker from the bowler and Ashwin read it perfectly. The right-hander walked across the stumps early and paddle scooped it over fine leg for a six. The next one is a slower delivery but it met a similar fate as Ashwin sat deep on the back foot and slammed it for a six straight down the ground.

After this win, KXIP Punjab grabbed the fourth spot in the points table with 10 points to keep play-off hopes alive. However, it was RR’s sixth loss and they are still in the seventh spot with just four points.

(With agency inputs)

First Published: Apr 17, 2019 00:35 IST