Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab by 8 wickets

Mohali: Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets and inch closer to securing a play-off berth in the ongoing Pepsi Indian Premier League on Thursday.
By virtue of this win, Rajasthan have moved to the second position in the team standings with 18 points from 13 games behind table toppers Chennai Super Kings (20 points).

Opting to field, Cooper picked up the wickets of Adam Gilchrist (42), Shaun Marsh (77) and danger man David Miller giving away just 23 runs off his four overs to help Rajasthan restrict Kings XI to 145 for six.

But that was all Kings XI could manage as Rahane and Samson played sensibly thereafter and mixed caution with aggression to guide Rajasthan home without any further damage.

While Rahane struck three fours and as many sixes during his knock, young Samson’s knock came off just 33 balls with the help of five hits to the fence and one over it.

Earlier, Rajasthan bowlers maintained discipline despite an attractive half-century by Marsh and an equally useful contribution from Gilchrist, to restrict Kings XI Punjab inside the 150-run mark.

Marsh and Gilchrist added 102 runs for the second wicket but Rajasthan bowlers, led by Cooper (3/23), put the brakes during the death overs.

The last seven overs of the innings produced only 45 runs and Kings XI lost five wickets in the process.

Gilchrist, who had dropped himself from the playing XI, however, batted positively from the onset. He started off with a cover-drive off S Sreesanth.

Marsh, who had come in after Mandeep’s dismissal, was boosted by Gilchrist’s counter-attack as he lofted Chandila for a six and followed that with a boundary. 14 runs came off the seventh over.

Man of the moment, Miller, was also snapped up by Cooper with Rahane taking a catch at deep mid-wicket. The momentum was lost as Kings XI finished much below what was expected of them after being 100/1 after 13 overs.