KL Rahul and Chris Gayle enjoyed a 93-run stand for the second wicket during their final ball win against RCB in Sharjah. Chris Gayle scored an emphatic fifty after coming in at Number 3 and his efforts were met with praise by captain KL Rahul at the end of the fixture, which instils some hope into the KXIP’s disastrous campaign so far.
KXIP skipper and Orange Cap leader KL Rahul claimed that Gayle’s presence in the batting unit is a huge boost, irrespective of his batting position. Chasing 172 against an in-form RCB bowling unit, the franchise decided not to alter the opening pair of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.
Moreover, Rahul praised the 41-year-old’s hunger for runs even at this stage of his career and confessed that Gayle should be the recipient of the Man Of The Match award. He said:
“I think, firstly, this [Man of the Match award] should go to Chris [Gayle]. He has not been feeling well but he’s always been hungry. Anyone who saw him, he was training hard like he’s probably never done.
“It was a tough call to make not to play someone like that. I won’t take credit but it’s important to keep the lion hungry sometimes. Wherever he bats, he’s still the same player and it worked today. Hopefully, he can carry on,” Rahul concluded.
Heartbeat off the charts following thriller, claims Rahul
Having done all the hard work to almost nullify the threat posed by the required run rate, KXIP were expected to coast to victory with more than a few overs to spare. However, the side allowed RCB to get back into the game which forced the game to be taken into the last ball.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, KL Rahul revealed that he is speechless and admits that the side had to scrape through in the end for the win. He said:
“I have no idea, it’s (heartbeat) the highest it can be. I don’t even have words. We knew we had to scrape and get over the line. We are a far better side than where we are in the points table. It just got too close for comfort, happy that we crossed the line,”
KXIP manage to complete the double over RCB in this edition of the IPL but are yet to register a win over any of the other franchises so far. They have a stern challenge in the form of defending champions Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
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