Kings XI Punjab skipper KL Rahul displayed sublime form and struck a swashbuckling 132 in 69 balls in the match against RCB on Thursday. That performance helped his side reach 206/3 in 20 overs. On the other hand, RCB struggled to chase down the target and lost their first match of the season by 97 runs.
After the match Rahul received huge praise from former cricketers Ian Bishop and Gautam Gambhir. Former West Indies bowler Ian Bishop, on ESPNCricinfo’s T20 Timeout show, said, “The way he balanced his innings was great. I was sitting there watching those first 50 runs, and outside of the powerplay I was thinking ‘geez, he is just settling there, not anchor it, but looking to balance it’.
“And I think he did that beautifully. Forget the chances, the way he accelerated towards the end, having batting that deep in the innings, I think it makes him a complete batsman,” he added.
While agreeing to Bishop, Gambhir said, “I have to agree with Ian Bishop that in IPL, he is probably the no. 1 player at the moment.” KXIP will now face Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
Meanwhile on Friday, Delhi Capitals went top of the table with two wins in two matches — the first time the franchise has managed to do since 2010 — with a clinical 44-run win over Chennai Super Kings in Match 7 of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday.
