IPL 2020 RCB vs KXIP highlights: KXIP beats RCB in a last ball thriller
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 , KL Rahul, Chris Gayle")
KL Rahul and Chris Gayle during KXIP vs RCB match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on the 15th October 2020. Photo: Sportzpics for BCCI
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In match 31 of Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020), KL Rahul played a captain's knock and Chris Gayle fired in his first game since January as Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) finally ended its five-match losing streak with an eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at Sharjah cricket ground on Thursday.
Chasing 172 in a must-win game, the in-form opening pair of Rahul (61 not off 49) and Mayank Agarwal (45 off 25) got off to a flying start before Gayle (53 off 45) joined his skipper in the middle to get KXIP close to the finishing line.
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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.
Both Rahul and Gayle smashed five sixes each, rendering the opposition attack helpless.
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Batting first, skipper Virat Kohli top-scored with 48 off 39 balls in his 200th game for RCB before Chris Morris' 25 off 8 in the death overs took the team to 171 for six.
It was a rare all-round effort from KXIP who had failed to close out games earlier in the competition.
Mohammad Shami (2/45) conceded 24 runs in the final over that spoiled his figures after he got rid of Kohli and AB de Villiers but overall it was a much improved bowling effort by KXIP especially in the death overs.
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Leg spinner M Ashwin struck twice and pacer Chris Jordan took his first wicket of the tournament.
The run chase was supposed to be straightforward after Agarwal took the opposition to the cleaners in the powerplay before Rahul took over. As usual, the 41-year-old Gayle, batting at three, took his time early on before going ballistic.
Earlier, KXIP conceded only 25 runs from over 16-19 before Morris and Isuru Udana hammered Shami for three sixes.
Rahul experimented by opening the bowling with Glenn Maxwell (0/28 in 4 overs). He was slog swept by his Australian teammate and close friend Aaron Finch on the final ball.
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes |
| KL Rahul | not out | 61 | 49 | 1 | 5 |
| Mayank Agarwal | b Chahal | 45 | 25 | 4 | 3 |
| Chris Gayle | run out (Devdutt Padikkal/de Villiers) | 53 | 45 | 1 | 5 |
| Nicholas Pooran | not out | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total: 177-2 in 20 Overs | |||||
| Bowler | Over | Maiden | Runs | Wickets | |
| Chris Morris | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| Navdeep Saini | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 3 | 0 | 35 | 1 | |
| Isuru Udana | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Mohammad Siraj | 3 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| Washington Sundar | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes |
| Devdutt Padikkal | c Pooran b Arshdeep | 18 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| Aaron Finch | b M Ashwin | 20 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| Virat Kohli | c Rahul b Shami | 48 | 39 | 3 | 0 |
| Washington Sunar | c Jordan b M Ashwin | 13 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Shivam Dube | c Rahul b Jordan | 23 | 19 | 0 | 2 |
| AB de Villiers | c Hooda b Shami | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Morris | not out | 25 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Isuru Udana | not out | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Total: 171/6 in 20 Overs | |||||
| Bowler | Over | Maiden | Runs | Wickets | |
| Glenn Maxwell | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| Mohammad Shami | 4 | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| Arshdeep Singh | 2 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| Murugan Ashwin | 4 | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 3 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| Chris Jordan | 3 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
RCB vs KXIP playing 11: Royal Challengers Bangalore has made no changes in its playing 11 while Kings XI Punjab has made three changes bringing in Chris Gayle, Deepak Hooda and Murugan Ashwin for Mujeeb ur Rahman, Mandeep Singh and Prabhsimran Singh.
KXIP playing 11: Chris Gayle, KL Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh.
RCB playing 11: Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers(w), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
KXIP live score after 20 Overs: 177-2
Yuzvendra Chahal [2.0-0-28-1] is back into the attack
Kings XI Punjab needs 1 run in 1 ball
Kings XI Punjab need 2 runs in 6 balls
KXIP live score after 19 Overs: 170-1
Isuru Udana [1.0-0-10-0] is back into the attack
Ball 2: Rahul hits towards long-on for a single.
Kings XI Punjab need 7 runs in 12 balls
KXIP live score after 18 Overs: 165-1
Chris Morris [3.0-0-18-0] is back into the attack
Ball 2: Gayle hits the full delivery with inside half of the bat towards mid-wicket for a single.
Ball 1: DOT
Kings XI Punjab needs 11 runs in 18 balls
KXIP live score after 17 Overs: 161-1; Gayle hits FIFTY
Washington Sundar [3.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack
Kings XI Punjab needs 26 runs in 24 balls
KXIP live score after 16 Overs: 146-1; Gayle, Rahul stitch 50-run stand
Mohammed Siraj [2.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack
Ball 1: Gayle smashes straight down the ground for FOUR and brings up 50-run stand for 2nd wicket.
KXIP live score after 15 Overs: 126-1
KXIP live score after 14 Overs: 123-1; Rahul hits FIFTY
Chris Morris [2.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack
Kings XI Punjab need 53 runs in 42 balls
KXIP live score after 13 Overs: 119-1; Gayle joins the party, hit TWO SIXES
Sundar continues...
KXIP live score after 12 Overs: 103-1; Rahul hit two gigantic sixes
Mohammed Siraj [1.0-0-9-0] is back into the attack
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First Published: Oct 15 2020 | 4:48 PM IST
