KL Rahul and his boys triumphed at the end of a very long Sunday for their team in Dubai. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Mumbai Indians played one of a kind match in the history of Indian Premier League as the result of the match was decided after 2 Super Overs.
The scores of the two teams got tied at 176 first and then on 5 runs in the 1st Super Over. Punjab opener Chris Gayle slammed a six off the first ball in the 12-run chase in the 2nd Over before Mayank Agarwal sealed the deal for his team with back to back boundaries on the 3rd and 4th delivery.
Reacting to the nerve-wracking match, KL Rahul during the post-match presentation ceremony said that his team will “take the two points” but would also not like to make a habit of taking the matches so deep. KL Rahul hailed his players and said that the results have not done justice to the hard yard they had put in throughout the tournament.
KL Rahul acknowledged Chris Gayle’s presence in the team, saying that he has made his job easy. The 28-year-old captain also talked highly of Mohammed Shami, who defended 6 runs in the first Super Over. Rahul said that Shami was clear with his plans and wanted to bowl six yorkers.
“Yeah okay. It is not the first time. But we don’t want to make a habit out of it. We will take the two points in the end. It doesn’t always happen the way you plan so you don’t really know how to stay balanced. I was just hoping we get over the line because the boys have been working really really hard. In the games that we have lost, even then we have played well and just not been able to get over the line. After wicketkeeping for 20 overs, I knew the first six overs were crucial. The wicket was slightly slower so it was important for us to get runs in the Powerplay.
“I knew Chris and Pooran… I trust them to take down spinners. So Chris coming in has made my job easier as a batter. You can never prepare for Super Overs. No team does. So you have to trust your bowler’s gut. You trust your bowler, and let them believe their instinct and gut. He (Shami) was very clear he wanted to go six yorkers. He has been phenomenal, and keeps getting better every game.
KL Rahul, who himself smashed 77 runs of 51 balls in the match, said it’s importnat for the seniors to step up on crucial occasions. Rahul asserted that KXIP will have to stick to the processes and win “everything” in the tournament now.
“It is important that senior players win the games for the team. [The momentum be shifting towards them with back to back wins] But we still want to take it one game at a time. It is sweet after the kind of matches we have lost but the talk in the dressing room is to focus on the process. We know we need to win everything from here, but we can’t forget the processes that lead to a win,” KL Rahul said after the match.
With their 3rd win of the season, KXIP, who were the bottom-ranked team ahead of the match, have climed to the 6th spot in 8-team IPL 2020 points table.