IPL 2020, RCB vs KXIPIPL 2020, RCB vs KXIP Highlights: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with a six off the last ball, winning by 8 wickets and registering their second win of the season. KL Rahul (61*) and Chris Gayle (53) smashed KXIP towards the target, but a near-game-changing 20th over by Yuzvendra Chahal (1/35) required a six off the last ball by Nicholas Pooran to clinch the thriller.
RCB, batting first against KXIP, scored 171/6 in their 20 overs. RCB got off to a cracking start but were then strangled by spin, with Murugan Ashwin (2/23) being the wrecker-in-chief. Virat Kohli (48) came in to bat in the 5th over and anchored the RCB innings from then on. RCB’s strategy of sending in left-handers Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube ahead of AB de Villiers to counter KXIP’s leg spinners blew up in their faces. Mohammed Shami (2/45) picked up both Kohli and De Villiers in the 18th over to give KXIP a definitive upper hand. Chris Morris (25*) exploded in the last 2 overs to salvage the RCB innings. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (45) came out all guns blazing in KXIP’s chase. Chris Gayle came out to bat for the first time in the season after Mayank’s wicket, joining in the carnage.
Match 31, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 15 Oct, 2020
'We had a chat, it was a message about the left-hand, right-hand combination. Sometimes these decisions you take, don't come off. But I think 170 was a decent score,' says Kohli on the decision to drop ABD down to 6 earlier today. Also says Chahal had wanted to bowl the last ball wider, but the team's decision was that it should be straight.
Pooran to face. Chahal to bowl. 1 run to get. Last ball of the match. Chahal pulls up in his run out! What drama! Pooran smashes! Six! KXIP win off the last ball! They win by 8 wickets.
Chahal bowls the 20th. Dot ball to start. Dot ball to follow. Coule KXIP lose this too! Rahul has a chat with Gayle. Gayle gets a big shot towards midwicket. Just a single. Rahul on strike with 3 balls left with one run to get. Surely! No! Dot ball! 1 to get off 2. Punjab can't be doing this again! A run out! Gayle is run out! MADNESS! KXIP need 1 off the last ball! The new man will be on strike for the last ball!
Isiru Udana bowls the 19th. Chahal, who got the only wicket to fall in his second over, ends up without having bowled again. Runs coming via extras now as the bowlers try to do too much. Rahul and Gayle in no hurry to finish this off, they are taking no chances. Gayle takes a single off the last ball and keeps strike for the last over. KXIP 170/1 after 19
Morris bowls the 18th. Stretches the batsman, but has too little to work with now. A couple of wides called in his over. Just 4 runs from his over. He finishes with 0/22.
Gayle lays into Sundar as RCB go to their trusted off spinner for the 17th, still not bowling Morris and Chahal. Some questionable tactical decisions from RCB today. Pushing ABD down the order in the first innings, and now holding back their best bowlers till it's too late. Two sixes smashed in the over down the ground by Gayle. Gayle gets to his 50. Off 36 balls. KXIP 161/1 after 17
Kohli goes to Siraj in the 16th. Gayle smashes a four down the ground. Brings up 50 runs for the partnership. Gayle goes again next ball. Six over long off! Siraj tries to offer more width this time and the Gaylestorm strikes again. Rahul brings out the monster pull as Siraj goes short. Huge six! Goes out of the ground. Siraj is feeling the heat! 20 runs from his over. KXIP 146/1 after 16
Rahul gets to 50 with a push for a single. Off 37 balls. Morris gives away just 4 in his over. The required run rate is just 8 with 6 overs to go. KXIP have the game by the scruff of the neck and should win it unless they manage to do what they have done so many times this season - snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Saini bowls the 15th. Gayle swings and misses at a few. KXIP 126/1 after 15
Gayleforce unleashes! Smashes Sundar down the ground for six. Ends the over with another smash to the leg side for another six. Chris Morris bowls the 14th over. And gets Gayle out with an yorker. Lbw. Gayle reviews. Decision reversed. He had got some bat on it. KXIP 120/1 after 13.2
Sundar continues in the 11th. Again, just 4 runs from his over. Siraj bowls the 12th. The boundaries have dried up altogether. Even Rahul is only finding the fielders in the deep. Gayle struggling to find his timing. Rahul gets two in the slot, picks up two consecutive overpitched ball from Siraj for two back to back sixes. KXIP 103/1 after 12
Big moment in IPL 2020. Chris Gayle walks out to bat at 3, batting for the first time since January. Wearing 333. Washington Sundar bowls the 9th over, bowling for the first time today. 4 runs from his over. Saini bowls the 10th. Tests Gayle with express pace. Just 2 runs off his over. RCB are pulling things back now. KXIP 84/1 after 10
Chahal back to bowl the 7th. Mayank continues on the charge, attacking Chahal again. Smashes a six down the ground. But then Chahal strikes! Gets his revenge. Mayank plays across the line, and is bowled. He is gone for 45 off 25 balls. KXIP 78/1 after 8
Isiru Udana bowls the 6th. Mayank crashes a six down the ground to bring the 50 partnership up. Siraj into the attack in the 7th. Mayank fires a shot - slightly miscued - for four to deep backward point. KXIP 65/0 after 7
Chahal brought into the attack in the 4th. And the batsmen go after the leg spinner. Mayank Agarwal lofts a shot over long on for six. Ends the over with consecutive fours. 15 runs off the over. Saini bowls the 5th. The carnage continues. Rahul pulls for another six! Mayank ends the over with a four down the ground. KXIP 46/0 after 5
Saini takes the new ball alongside Morris. Strays on the leg side and Rahul flicks for four. Four dot balls to follow. It's been a tight start from RCB's pacers. Morris continues in the 3rd over. The batsmen push for quick runs now, putting pressure on the fielders. Rahul pulls a bouncer for a six, the first six of the chase. KXIP 18/0 after 3
It's Rahul and Mayank to open the Punjab innings. Gayle seen in the dugout. Chris Morris bowls the 1st over. What an over! Beats the bat several times. 1 run off the over.
Shami bowls the 20th. Morris scoops an attempted yorker for four to fine leg. 150 comes up for RCB. Udana goes for a big smash. Six to cow corner off the bouncer that Shami throws at the Sri Lankan. Morris smashes a six over long off. This last over has turned out to be a huge over! Six to square leg to finish. 24 runs off the last over! Morris ends with 25 off 8 balls!
Isuru Udana and Chris Morris are in the middle for RCB, with RCB's plan to send in the left handers ahead of ABD having exploded in their face. Jordan bowls the 19th. Chris Morris slashes over point. Six! Some life left in this RCB innings yet. RCB 147/6 after 19
Shami gets Kohli! A bouncer which grips off the surface. Kohli mistimes. An edge loops up. KL Rahul takes the catch. A huge over from Shami! Gets both Kohli and ABD. Kohli is out for 48. RCB 136/6 after 17.5
Murugan Ashwin bowls the 17th over. ABD is batting at 6 for only the third time in his IPL career. 6 runs off the over. M Ashwin ends with 2/23. An excellent showing from him tonight. Shami bowls the 18th. De Villiers goes for a big shot but does not get the timing right. He goes out for 2 off 5 balls. Shami gets a wicket. RCB 134/5 after 17.3