IPL 2018: Rashid Khan faces the music and other talking points as Kings XI Punjab hand Sunrisers Hyderabad their first defeat

Ashish Peter - Senior Writer 22:15 19/04/2018
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    • Rashid Khan had a match to forget. Image -IPL/Twitter.

    Sunrisers Hyderabad were handed their first defeat in the 2018 edition of the IPL as they went down by 15 runs to Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on Thursday.

    Ravichandran Ashwin‘s Kings XI won the toss and elected to bat first. The hosts set a daunting target of 194 to the visitors before a fine bowling performance saw them notch up their third win in as many matches at home this season.

    Here, we look at the key talking points from Kings XI’s impressive win.

    GAYLESTORM HITS MOHALI ONCE AGAIN

    After his explosive fifty on Kings XI debut against Chennai Super Kings, Chris Gayle was on song once again at the IS Bindra stadium in Mohali. The 38-year-old put on another exhibition of destructive batting as the boundary ropes were rendered insignificant once again.

    The swashbuckling left-hander struck 11 sixes and a sole boundary as he notched up his 21st century in T20 cricket and sixth in IPL history. Gayle started circumspectly, bringing up back-to-back fifties off 39 balls before switching a gear. He was particularly punishing on Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan as he carted him for four sixes in an over.

    The Jamaican’s destructive turn powered Kings XI to a huge total after they had taken the gamble of batting first and he remained unbeaten on 104 (64) as he sent down a marker to the IPL. The 11 sixes struck by him is the most so far by any batsman in the IPL this season, breaking Andre Russel’s record of 10 sixes against Chennai Super Kings.

    RASHID KHAN FACES THE MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME

    The Afghan leg-spin’s prodigy’s stock is as high as ever when it comes to T20 cricket and he has established himself as the premier bowler in the format across various franchise leagues spread across the globe.

    However, Thursday will be a day to forget for the 19-year-old old as he found himself on the receiving end of a ‘Gaylestorm’. The four sixes he conceded in a single over to Gayle is the most he has ever conceded in an entire T20 match while it was the most expensive over he has bowled in his IPL career.

    The Afghan man finished with figures of 1-55 from his four overs, going for seven sixes and a boundary in total as he completed a dismal outing.

    DHAWAN RETIRES HURT

    When chasing a daunting target of 194, Sunrisers Hyderabad needed their in-form stalwart Shikhar Dhawan to get them off to a flyer. Those hopes were dashed within the first over of the chase itself after the Sunrisers’ opener was struck on his left elbow by a sharp in-swinger from Barinder Sran.

    The left-hander shaped to cut the pacer through point but found himself cramped for room as the ball deviated sharply. The physio was quickly called as Dhawan went down clutching his elbow in pain.

    That would be the end of the India opener as he was forced to retire hurt after not being able to carry on. That turned out to be a hammer blow for the visitors as they were put under pressure straight up with their most in-form batsman returning to the dressing room without opening his account.

    WILLIAMSON’S CAPTAIN’S INNINGS NOT ENOUGH FOR SUNRISERS

    Having lost Dhawan so early into the chase, the visitors were dealt another blow when Wriddhiman Saha was dismissed cheaply in the very next over. From that point on, skipper Kane Williamson took it upon himself to anchor the innings as he kept the runs ticking in trademark fashion.

    The Blackcaps skipper tried his utmost best to keep up with the steep asking-rate too as he hit two sixes and three boundaries on the way to a fine fifty.

    He formed a 76-run partnership for the third-wicket with Manish Pandey that stabilized the Hyderabad chase but he ultimately fell for 54 in the pursuit of quick runs.

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