IPL 2016: Kings XI Punjab beat Rising Pune Supergiants by six wickets
Vijay and Vohra make half-centuries
Wednesday 20 April 2016 12:02, UK
Kings XI Punjab picked up their first IPL win of 2016 as they beat Rising Pune Supergiants by six wickets.
After Pune had made 152-7 from their 20 overs, an opening partnership of 97 between Murali Vijay (53) and Manan Vohra (51) laid the foundations for Kings XI's victory.
However, there was a slight wobble after the pair were dismissed before Glenn Maxwell smashed 32 not out from 14 balls to get Punjab over the line.
Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Pune suffered an early setback as Sandeep Sharma bowled Ajinkya Rahane (9) attempted an uncharacteristic heave across the line.
The in-form Faf du Plessis was then joined in the middle by Kevin Pietersen (15). The duo quickly got into their rhythm and the partnership reached 45 before the former England batsman's innings came to a tame end as he chipped a Kyle Abbott delivery straight to midwicket.
Thisara Perera (8) came and went swiftly with Steve Smith in at no 5. However, his partnership with Du Plessis struggled to get going and the runs rather dried up in the middle overs.
Du Plessis reached his half-century in the 15th over but boundaries remained hard to come by before Smith's timing returned in the 17th enabling him to pick up three boundaries from Abbott's over.
A Mohit Sharma slower ball accounted for the Australia captain the following over though, giving MS Dhoni a little over two overs to try and maximise the Supergiants' total.
It was not to be as Du Plessis eventually fell off the first ball of the final over, skying another Sharma (3-23) slower ball straight up with the bowler able to get underneath it to take the catch before Dhoni hauled out to Glenn Maxwell the very next ball. Irfan Pathan kept out the hat-trick ball and was run out going for a second from the last ball of the innings as Pune finished on 152-7.
Kings XI made a positive start to the chase with Murali Vijay wasting no time getting into his stride. He launched a huge six over long off, off the bowling of Ishant Sharma, and, alongside Manan Vohra, powered his side to 50-0 after the powerplay.
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A quiet couple of overs followed before Vohra took charge and hit three successive fours off Perera. The opener brought up his 50 off 31 balls but was dismissed soon after, trapped lbw by Ankit Sharma, ending a partnership of 97.
The 100 came up in the 13th over but when Shaun Marsh (4) was bowled with 50 still required to win, the pressure was back on a Punjab side looking for their first IPL win of the tournament.
Vijay momentarily eased those nerves with a maximum to take him past 50 but he nicked behind off Murugan Ashwin the very next ball.
David Miller (7) was next to go and it looked as if the Supergiants might find a way back into the game. Glenn Maxwell, however, had other ideas.
The Aussie all-rounder has been woefully short of runs of late but returned to form with a bang, smashing three fours and two sixes as he blasted his side to victory with eight balls to spare.
