IPL 2018, KXIP vs MI: 4 unnoticed things from the match

In a must-win game for the visitors, Kings XI Punjab were hosting Mumbai Indians at their new home venue in Indore. On a pitch that had just runs on offer, MI won the toss and elected to field.

A sluggish start saw the beginning of innings for the men in red as they registered a below-par score in the powerplay overs considering the nature of the pitch. It was some late blitz from the lower order that propelled them to a defendable 174 in their 20 overs.

Chasing 175 on a flat track, Mumbai was always in the game despite a slow start by the openers. However, some power hitting from Krunal ensured that men in blue stayed alive in the tournament as they defeated Punjab by 6 wickets.

Let’s take a close look at some of the things that went unnoticed during the game:

#1 Slow start for Kings XI in the powerplay

Image result for Kings XI gayle and rahul

On a wicket that had everything up for the grabs for the batters, the explosive opening duo of Kings XI Punjab was expected to come to the party in the first affair at Indore this season. However, it didn’t pan out the way the home team would have liked it for them.

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle did manage to hit few shots but didn’t get off to a blistering start. In the first six overs, they just managed to hit 49 runs without a loss of any wicket. On a small ground, and a batting paradise, this was a slow start from the Kings XI’s point of view especially with the likes of Rahul and Gayle failing to up the ante of runs.