IPL 2018: I Think KL Rahul Was Amazing, Says Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis lavished praise on teammate KL Rahul after the latter played a brilliant knock to guide Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) – to a convincing six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Sunday (May 6).

Rahul has made a name for himself by attacking the bowlers right from the word go. The India star had started the season with a record-breaking 14-ball fifty and has not looked back since then.

In almost every game, the right-handed batter Rahul took the attack to the opposition from the start.

Well, on Sunday, the situation demanded him to play cautiously and Rahul played his part to the perfection. Unlike the previous games where he threw away his wicket after getting the start, Rahul stayed till the end to take Kings XI home.

Chasing a modest target of 153, Kings XI were in a spot of bother after being reduced to 29 for two. Rahul and Karun Nair then steadied the ship with a 50-plus stand before the latter returned back to the pavilion. Eight runs later, Axar Patel departed too which forced Rahul to drop anchors. The hard-hitting batsman took 44 balls to complete his fifty.

He, however, started attacking just when the team needed it. The turning point of the game came in the 17th over when he hit Jofra Archer for 16 runs before Jaydev Unadkat conceded 15 runs as Kings XI sealed the game.

The Punjab-based outfit eventually reached home in the 19th over. Rahul remained unbeaten on 84 off 54 balls and had hit five boundaries in his next 11 balls to dash Royals’ hopes.

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Following the win, Stoinis hailed Rahul’s responsible knock.

“The wicket was a bit tough. I think (KL) Rahul was amazing,” said Stoinis at the post-match conference.

“This was his best innings. He understood the situation and batted accordingly. Indeed, very smart innings from him.”

Stoinis also played an integral role in the win. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 23 off 16 to give good support to KL Rahul.

Asked what discussion he had with Rahul when he came out to bat, he said: “I wanted to make sure I was calm enough to take some balls. Even he (Rahul) motivated me to do the same. The plan was to hit straight (to the spinners). That’s my strength. Rahul and I were confident that if we stay till the end, we will win.”

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