Sharjah: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 8 wickets, registering their second win of the IPL 2020 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
RCB won the toss and opted to bat first. Batting first, skipper Virat Kohli top-score with 48 off 39 balls in his 200th game for RCB before Chris Morris’ 25 off 8 balls in the death overs took the team to 171 for six. For KXIP, Murugan Ashwin (2/23) and Mohammed Shami (2/45) did most of the damage while Arshdeep Singh (1/20) and Chris Jordan (1/20) settled with a wicket apiece.
Chasing the total, KL Rahul (61* off 49 balls) and Chris Gayle (53 off 45 balls) smashed fifties, while Mayank Agarwal too chipped in with 45 off 25 balls as KXIP scored 177 for two in 20 overs to record only their second win this season. Both Rahul and Gayle smashed five sixes each, rendering the opposition attack helpless. Needing seven off the final two overs with nine wickets in hand, KXIP somehow managed to take the game to the last ball with Nicholas Pooran finally hitting the winning six.
KXIP have now won two out of their first eight matches this season but remains at the bottom of the points table.