Axar Patel (4/21) and Mohit Sharma (3/32) helped Kings XI Punjab register only their second win in seven Indian Premier League (IPL) games this season as they overcame table-toppers Gujarat Lions by 23 runs yesterday.
Chasing 155, Gujarat were reduced to 34/2 in five overs after right-arm pacer Mohit disturbed the stumps of Brendon McCullum (1) and Suresh Raina (18). Then Axar broke Punjab’s back in the seventh over, removing West
Indian Dwayne Smith (15), Dinesh Karthik (2) and Dwayne Bravo (0)—the final two wickets fell in the fifth and sixth deliveries.
Then, after a bowling change, Axar was brought back into the attack in the 11th over. On the first ball, he sent Ravindra Jadeja (11) packing, taking the first hat-trick of the 2016 edition—and 14th overall in IPL’s history.
Gujarat were then reeling at 57/6 and were in desperate need of a partnership. Ishan Kishan (27) and James Faulkner (32) infused hopes in the home team’s camp.
But the job was too stiff, as they fell short by 23 runs in the end.
Despite the loss at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Gujarat remain on top of the points table with six wins. Meanwhile, Punjab remain stranded at the last place with four points—same as Rising Pune Supergiants and Royal Chellngers Bangalore but behind on net run rate.
Earlier, asked to bat, new captain Murali Vijay played a key knock of 55 off 41 deliveries as the visitors recovered from a middle-order collapse to post 154 in 19.5 overs. Punjab got off to a good start as Vijay and Stoinis (27 off 17) took the team’s total to 59 in the powerplay (six) overs. Vijay looked in ominous touch, hitting medium pacer Praveen Kumar for four fours in the bowler’s first two overs.
Punjab were sailing smoothly before young left-arm Chinaman bowler Shivil Kaushik’s 3/20 helped the hosts gain a strong foothold in the match. Punjab lost four wickets between the seventh to ninth overs and were reduced to 73/4.
Just when Stoinis was looking dangerous, left-arm spinner Jadeja broke the stand by having the Australian right-hander stumped by wicket-keeper Karthik in the fourth ball of the sixth over. The visitors were 65/1 at that time but failed to capitalise on the good start.
The next over, bowled by Kaushik, saw Punjab lose two key wickets off successive deliveries. Left-hander Shaun Marsh (1) was caught by captain Suresh Raina at short mid-wicket, while Glenn Maxwell got out for a duck to a contentious caught-behind decision off a wide ball, leaving the Australian right-hander shaking his head in disbelief.
Another drama unfolded on the penultimate ball of the ninth over when new batsman Gurkeerat Singh Mann, coming into the side in place of Manan Vohra, attempted a cut towards James Faulkner at backward point. Gurkeerat was sent back in his attempt to take a single by Vijay and, on his return, he was found short of the crease.
With the side reeling at 73/4, Vijay and David Miller tried to resurrect the innings, Meanwhile, Vijay reached his fifty—his second in this edition—before holing out at deep mid-wicket to Dwayne Bravo, giving Kaushik his third wicket.
Later, sacked skipper David Miller (31) and Wriddhiman Saha’s 19-ball-33 helped Punjab get to a respectable total which they managed to successfully defend, thanks to Mohit and Axar.
Brief scores
Kings XI Punjab: 154 all out in 19.5 overs (Murali Vijay 55, Wriddhiman Saha 33; Shivil Kaushik 3/20, Praveen Kumar 2/25, Dwayne Bravo 2/33) beat Gujarat Lions: 131/9 (James Faulkner 32; Axar Patel 4/21, Mohit Sharma 3/32) by 23 runs

Side strain rules Mitchell Marsh out of IPL
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a side strain and will be assessed ahead of Australia’s tour of West Indies next month, Cricket Australia (CA) said yesterday.
Marsh is the third big casualty at Rising Pune Supergiants, who have already lost former England batsman Kevin Pietersen (calf) and South African Faf du Plessis (finger) to injuries.
“Mitchell experienced some pain over his left abdominal area whilst batting at a training session with his team Pune in the IPL a few days ago,” CA sports science and sports medicine manager Alex Kountouris said in a statement.
“He missed his team’s next game and the pain has not resolved. He had scans in India that suggest he has a side strain injury and will now return home for further assessment and treatment ahead of the tour of the West Indies.”
Australia will compete in a June 5-21 tri-nation one-day series in West Indies, also involving South Africa. “Once we have a better understanding of the extent of the injury we will be able to advise on his return to play timeframes,” Kountouris added.