Kings XI Punjab trounced Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 97 runs in the sixth match of IPL 2020 to secure their first points in the tournament. After failing in the team’s first match, KL Rahul spearheaded with a blistering hundred to lift the Mohali-based franchise to 206. Following that, the bowlers ran the show as RCB kept losing wickets and failed to keep up with the required rate.
Also Read: IPL 2020: KL Rahul Hammers The Highest Score By A Captain
KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal put on a half-century stand for the opening wicket before Yuzvendra Chahal made the first breakthrough. In the middle-overs, Punjab found it a little challenging to get going; however, the skipper hung in there and the hopes remained for a formidable first-innings total. They lost their final wicket in the 15th over as the fourth-wicket partnership between Rahul and Karun Nair was an unbeaten 78 off only 28 balls.
KL Rahul’s record-breaking 132 off only 69 deliveries guided Punjab to a monstrous total of 206. Their new-ball bowlers in Mohammed Shami and Sheldon Cottrell had RCB reeling at 4-3 in less than three overs. Skipper Virat Kohli, who allowed his counterpart two lifelines, perished only for a single to Cottrell. RCB had a glimmer of hope when Aaron Finch and AB De Villiers built a stand of 49; however, could not carry on.
RCB lost half of their side at 57 following which the rest of the batsmen were playing only to reduce the margin of loss. Eventually, the entire team bundled out of , suffering a heavy defeat to Kings XI Punjab. The massive margin of victory would be quite helpful for Punjab in the later stages of the game and could be the opposite for RCB.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Kings XI Punjab opening their account in IPL 2020 against Royal Challengers Bangalore:
https://twitter.com/veeschanged/status/1309147123821277186?s=20
#KXIPvRCB
Rcb Feilders running towards boundary after every ball of Umesh Yadav pic.twitter.com/pXqryjPrFk— Adarsh (@adarsh_hhh) September 24, 2020
Sheer class, take a bow KL Rahul#RCBvKXIP
— Deep Dasgupta (@DeepDasgupta7) September 24, 2020
KL Rahul – 132* – now the highest by an Indian in #IPL history!
Prev: 128* – by Rishabh Pant in 2018#KXIPvRCB#RCBvKXIP#IPL2020 #Dream11IPL— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) September 24, 2020
Kohli dropping balls is nothing new.
He already dropped his balls when he became Modi's cheerleader. #KXIPvRCB
— Spirit of Congress✋ (@SpiritOfCongres) September 24, 2020
KL: 132* off 69
Until the Kohli drop: 90(60)
Post the Kohli drop: 42(9)Must be one of the deadliest drops in IPL history! #IPL2020 #KXIPvRCB
— Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16) September 24, 2020
Virat Kohli being overly nice to KL Rahul today ?#KXIPvRCB pic.twitter.com/R8owEvERoO
— Ankur (@TheSinghAnkur) September 24, 2020
Kohli catch aise drop kar rahe hain jaise ball nahi GDP ho ?? #RCBvKXIP
— Rofl Gandhi 2.0 ?? (@RoflGandhi_) September 24, 2020
and rahul said he was worried in the lockdown that he may forget how to pick line and length! #RCBvKXIP #IPL2020
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) September 24, 2020
What a knock by @klrahul11 just sensational for @lionsdenkxip #ipl
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) September 24, 2020
Yes he was given two chances, but its not hard to appreciate the beauty and skill of K L Rahul. We have long been admirers of this wonderous batting talent @mmbangwa
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) September 24, 2020