Young Kings XI Punjab pacer Ankit Rajpoot registered his career-best bowling figures to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to a modest 132 for six in an IPL match here today.
Rajpoot (5/14) produced a dream opening spell, which included three important wickets, to dismantle Sunrisers innings after Kings XI opted to bowl first.
The young pacer from Kanpur then returned back to pick up two more wickets in the final over to single-handedly destroy the home team.
For Sunrisers, Manish Pandey (54 off 51) scored a fighting half-century, while Shakib Al Hasan (28) and Yusuf Pathan (21 not out) made useful contributions.
On a roll, Kings XI had a dream start as they reduced Sunrisers to 27 for three by the end of the fifth over with Rajpoot reigning havoc.
Sunrisers top-order failed to cope up with Rajpoot's extra bounce and swing which resulted in the dismissal of Sunrisers captain Kane Williamson in the fourth ball of the innings, caught by skipper Ravichandran Ashwin.
The pacer then removed Shikhar Dhawan (11) and Wriddhiman Saha (6) in his consecutive overs to put Sunrisers in serious trouble.
Rajpoot's extra bounce and swing first induced an edge from Dhawan which Karun Nair gleefully accepted in the only slip and then in his next over the pacer removed Saha caught by Andrew Tye as the batsman went for a terrible cross-batted slog.
It could have been more trouble for the hosts but Tye dropped a dolly from Pandey off Rajpoot's next delivery to deny the bowler a hat-trick chance.
Sunrisers received another reprieve when Shakib was caught off Barinder Sran in the next over off a no ball.
Riding on their luck, Pandey and Shakib then steadied Sunrisers sinking ship with a toiling 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket that came off 53 balls before young Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (1/17) cut short the association, getting the wicket of Shakib in the 14th over.
Even though Pandey toiled to his fifty but it was not enough as Rajpoot returned back in the final over to cut short his stay and then accounted for Mohammad Nabi a ball later to help Kings XI restrict Sunrisers to a chaseable target.
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