In terms of unpredictability and quality of competition, IPL 2020 is proving to be one of the best editions in the history of the tournament. Kings XI Punjab, who had looked destined to sink under the burden of defeats not too many days back, have turned the tables extraordinarily with a hat-trick of wins.
Even Shikhar Dhawan’s blistering knock of 106 not out off 61 balls could not stop a rejuvenated Kings XI. In reply to Capitals’ 164/5, Kings XI dominated to win the match with five wickets and an over to spare at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.
With 8 points, Kings XI have moved up to the fifth spot in the standings, pushing down Rajasthan Royals, who have the same number of points, on the strength of a better net run rate.
To Kings XI’s credit, they chased down the target despite two of their best batsmen — captain KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal — falling cheaply.
After the early setback, it was veteran Chris Gayle who gave Kings XI’s run chase a much-needed thrust. Ravichandran Ashwin did manage to stop a Gayle storm, but Nicholas Pooran (53 off 28 balls) took over from his Caribbean teammate to ensure that the chase remained on track.
The first half was completely a Dhawan show. Even though he didn’t get any support from the other end, Dhawan remained firm in his strokeplay. In the process, he became the first in the IPL to have back-to-back centuries.
