However in IPL, unusual things have happened at the business end of the tournament and RCB, under Virat Kohli, are likely to put a lot of pressure on the slipping KXIP. He has posted scores of 84 not out, 95 not out and 66 in his previous three matches and is third on the leading run scorers charts with 537 runs from 11 games.
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While Virat has managed to add 466 runs from 11 games to his tally, de Villiers has contributed 358 runs from nine innings. Rahul will be desperate to get some support from Gayle, who has gone quiet after initial carnage.
It was in the fifth over of the game that the fortunes changed directions.
However, it is the bowling which has let both RCB and KXIP down on many occasions.
The Match will commence at 8:00 PM IST. If the failure of the top-order wasn’t enough, three run outs, including that of Ravichandran Ashwin for a first-ball duck, pushed them further into abyss.
It was a logical move to bring back Aaron Finch against KKR on Saturday even through the Aussie had been out of touch but that batting still looks light with Axar Patel coming in at six.
Young Nepali spinner Sandeep Lamichhane gave just 25 runs in four overs and picked up the wicket of Parthiv Patel.
“I was disappointed after getting out since we had the run rate in control”.
Umesh Yadav ambushed KL Rahul and Chris Gayle with short balls and the rest of Kings XI Punjab’s batting line-up made lemmings seem cautious as they were knocked over for 88 in 15.1 overs. Delhi’s Rishabh Pant, who has the most with 31, has played in three more games than the South African batting superstar. Leg-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal flung a yorker at Marcus Stoinis to send him back in the sixth.
Chris Woakes, meanwhile, continues to wait in the wings – he claimed eight wickets through the first five games of the tournament for RCB, but went for a lofty 10.36 an over and has sat out since. He is caught behind, Colin de Grandhomme gets the wicket. “Other teams don’t want to play a team who are feeling good and have nothing to lose”. As a result of their efforts with the bat, the Royal Challengers won the match by five wickets. AB De Villiers (72no) and Virat Kohli (70) combined for a 118-run stand for the second wicket after both openers were dismissed early.
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After the short innings, Kohli returned to the field and ensured the night truly belonged to him, scoring 48 not out (28b) and taking his team home in the company of fellow-opener Parthiv (40 not out, 22b).
