Kings XI Punjab justified their tag as Indian Premier League favourites as they survived the cheap dismissal of swashbuckling batsman Glenn Maxwell to see off Kolkata Knight Riders with a fearsome bowling display.
Maxwell, 25, has been the star of the tournament during its opening fortnight in the UAE but fell for just 15 under the floodlights during the second match of the double-header at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.
His team fought back in sensational fashion, dismissing KKR for a paltry 109 to win by 23 runs.
Kings XI’s perfect three-match winning streak had seemed in doubt when KKR spin pair Sunil Narine and Piyush Chawla shared six wickets to restrict them to 132-9 in Abu Dhabi.
No player in IPL history has scored more runs in three consecutive innings than Maxwell’s staggering 279 and how his side would fare when he finally misfired had been labelled a true test of their favourites tag.
Their relentless response with the ball saw KKR’s conservative run rate punished to full effect.
Mitchell Johnson then finished off the innings by clean bowling Umesh Yadav, as the early pacesetters proved they will take some stopping this year.
