You can dole out the money and line up the batting stars but its no guarantee of runs, not even against modest bowling attacks
KXIP spinner Axar Patel celebrates a RCB wicket with skipper Glenn Maxwell and 'keeper Wriddhiman Saha in Bangalore yesterday. Pic/PTI
Bangalore: You can dole out the money and line up the batting stars but its no guarantee of runs, not even against modest bowling attacks. That was the story at the Chinnaswamy Stadium last night when the famed batting line-ups of both Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore came a cropper.
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RCB's was the poorer show for they knew they were chasing just 139 for victory, that target in itself set up thanks to a late cameo from Axar Patel (38 not out, 17b, 3x4, 2x6), who took a special liking to the final over of their innings, bowled by Shane Waston.
Patel added to his batting show by picking up 3 for 11 as RCB were eventually bowled out for 119, handing Kings XI a 19-run win, the exact number of runs given away by Watson in that final over.
But it was seamer Sandeep Sharma who was the real bowling hero for Kings XI. Chris Gayle was his first victim, caught at point when he walked out to hit him out of the park. Skipper Virat Kohli did hit him for a boundary but then he too walked out to be bowled. Then it was AB de Villiers turn to step out to the never-say-die Sandeep, this after a four and a six. The walk resulted in a nick and in a trice RCB were down and out for the count.
Earlier, Hashim Amla too had walked but only after nicking a lovely away swinger from Aniket Chaudhary, RCB's bowling star of the night. That triggered off a near procession from a side with an all-foreign, all-powerful batting line-up.
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