IPL 2020: Match 38: Dhawan’s century goes in vein as Kings XI rises from the ashes

After the high adrenaline match on Sunday, Kings XI Punjab has been flying high. And why wouldn’t they? They beat RCB a couple of days earlier and after beating Mumbai Indians, their confidence was sky high because they had beaten two top-ranked sides. Yesterday when Kings XI Punjab met the table toppers, Delhi Capitals, they had every reason to believe that they can beat them because the last time when these two teams met it was a tie. So how did it go?

Here are my 5 points highlights of yesterday’s match held in Dubai.

1. Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan has hit a purple patch. He was in very ordinary form in the first 6 matches. Then he hit a half-century carrying his bat through – a very slowish half-century but that innings changed everything for Shikhar Dhawan. From that day onwards he has not put a foot wrong. In the last match against CSK, he scored an unbeaten century to take Delhi Capitals to the top of the table. Sometimes lightning strikes twice and that’s what exactly happened yesterday because for the first time in IPL history we had a batsman who hit two centuries in a row. Dhawan remained not out too so basically he has now been batting for 40 overs (scoring 2 centuries) and is yet to get out. Quite an achievement in T20 cricket. Yesterday he faced 61 balls and scored 106 runs. The rest of the Delhi Capitals team faced 59 balls and scored 58 runs. The next highest scorer in his team was 14 runs. A huge gap that cost Delhi Capitals dearly because 164 was not a winning total. It was one of those rare matches where a player from the losing team won the Man of the Match award – that’s the kind of gulf that Dhawan created among all players in the field yesterday.

2. Md. Shami

Shami is one of the top 5 pace bowlers in world cricket today. He always had the pace but what he lacked was consistency and he also lacked yorkers. He was way too focused on the length earlier in his career. But the last 2 years have been a revelation for him and his performance shows in the same. He has got extremely fit and he now has the ability to bowl 6 yorkers in 6 balls. He showed his skills to the whole world when he defended 5 runs in the super over against Mumbai Indians. Yesterday with Dhawan going great guns it was important that Kings XI Punjab don’t leak too many runs in the death. Shami didn’t miss the length even once and that was the primary reason why Delhi Capitals was kept at 164 runs only. His figures read 2/28 in 4 overs. The wickets of Stoinis and Hetmeyer in the death overs didn’t allow Delhi Capitals to get any momentum.

3. Kagiso Rabada

Rabada is the top bowler this IPL and he takes a wicket in each and every match. He doesn’t go wicketless and that’s something which has held Delhi Capitals in good stead. Yesterday Nortje didn’t take the field and hence Rabada had extra pressure. 164 was not a winning total and hence Rabada’s performance was very important and they needed him to pick up quick wickets. He couldn’t give them the breakthrough but he didn’t leak runs either. He did create a flutter by picking up the wickets of Pooran and Maxwell though and finished with 2/27 in 4 overs which was a very good performance.

4. Glenn Maxwell

Maxwell has never performed to his potential in IPL. This year has been no different. He always got out in the most inopportune moments and is yet to play a defining inning to take the team home. Rahul did a smart thing in bowling him because sometimes these players need to do something for the team to get their adrenaline flowing. Though he is yet to put the stage on fire he has kept things tight. He is now generally opening the bowling for Kings XI Punjab and it has now started to click. Yesterday he bowled his quota of 4 overs and returned with figures of 1/31 which was not bad for a part-time spinner. This confidence worked well when he came to bat. Kings XI got themselves into a bit of a hole with quick wickets and was reeling at 56/3. To their advantage though the run rate was good and that allowed Maxwell to not go after the bowling and he played himself in without taking undue risks. His running between the wickets was a bit dodgy though. He scored 32 off 24 balls and took his team to the doorsteps of victory. A good day at the office for Glenn Maxwell.

5. Nicholas Pooran

I have said this earlier and I am saying this again – Pooran is the best batsman to come out of West Indies after Brian Lara. His stance, his front foot play, and his back foot play all remind you about the great West Indians of the past. He is a hybrid of Richards and Lara and I expect some great things from him in the future. Yesterday he came in at the fall of Chris Gayle’s wicket. Chris Gayle had hit 26 off 10 balls to keep the asking run rate at very manageable levels. But a cardinal calling mistake got Mayank Agarwal run out and that spurred on Pooran. He was in a different zone thereafter and all bowlers were hit around the park. You could see the anger writhed on his face as he batted on. 53 off 28 balls is what he scored yesterday and by the time he got out the asking run rate was below 5 runs an over.

Kings XI Punjab is on the rise and now is breathing down the neck of KKR for the 4th spot. They have now beaten the top 3 sides in the tournament in 3 consecutive games and the entry of Chris Gayle has done wonders for the team.

So will Kings XI Punjab make it to the playoffs? What do you think?

Do share your views!