New Delhi: The 31st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was played between Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah. Bangalore won the toss and scored 171 runs in the first 20 overs losing 6 wickets and set a target of 172 runs to win in front of Punjab. Punjab achieved the target very easily by losing 2 wickets and defeated Bangalore by 8 wickets. However, Punjab won the match but there was no difference in the points table.
Bangalore scored 171 runs in 20 overs playing the first. Aaron Finch and Paddikkal, who came at the opening, started well. But after settling on the pitch, Padikkal was dismissed for 18 runs on 12 balls. After that, Fitch could not last long and was dismissed for 20 runs on 18 balls. After him, captain Kohli tried to handle Bangalore’s innings. He scored 48 runs on 39 balls with the help of 3 checks. No batsman could last long to support him. Bangalore wickets continued to fall. Due to this Bangalore could not manage to score big. However, Chris Maurice scored 25 runs with 8 balls and 3 sixes and 1 chakka to bring the team to a respectable score. For Punjab, all bowlers except Mohammed Shami did economical bowling. Shami took 45 wickets in 4 overs and took 2 wickets. Murugan Ashwin took 2 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs.
Punjab had a tremendous start. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, who came to the opening, got off to a brisk start. Mayank scored 45 runs off 25 balls with the help of 4 fours and 3 sixes. Rahul scored 61 off 49 balls with the help of 5 emphatic sixes and did not get out till the end. Playing his first match, Chris Gayle scored 53 runs in 45 balls with 5 sixes and 1 check. By 18 overs it seemed that Punjab would win the match easily. But there was a little thrill in the 19th and 20th overs. Chris Gayle was dismissed in the last over. Punjab needed 1 run to win on the last ball. Nicholas Pooran, who came on the batting, put the match in Punjab’s bowling with a six. Maurice and Saini did economical bowling from Bangalore but did not leave any baller effect.
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