Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), effectively out of playoff contention of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019, needed a very, very good performance against defending champions and table-toppers Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the penultimate league match on Sunday to salvage some pride.
But their outing, at least in the first half of the match, was a reflection of their season. Blowing hot and cold. Sam Curran produced a beauty to send Shane Watson back early. Then Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina turned the screws on the hosts with a 100-run stand for the second wicket. Captain Ravichandran Ashwin, who won the toss and opted to field, was looking for clues as to how to stop the visitors.
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However, in contrast, he got a poor fielding effort from KL Rahul, one of their best fielders and stars this season. It angered Ashwin. His reaction, reading accurately by the TV commentators, said -- if looks could kill.
In the tenth over, bowled by Murugan Ashwin, Faf du Plessis hit the fifth ball towards long-on. KL Rahul, who moved quickly on the turf, let the ball slip between his legs.
Watch it here:
CSK set a 171-run target for KXIP with Faf du Plessis hitting 96. He was involved in a 120-run second-wicket stand. For the hosts, young Sam Curran took three wickets while Mohammed Shami got a brace in the final over. No other bowler got among the wickets.
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If CSK win today, it will be their 100th IPL victory. Earlier in the season, Mumbai Indians have become the first team to achieve that milestone.
