KXIP: The week that was
At the start of the week, Kings XI Punjab pulled off a heist at the Eden Gardens as they defended a small total of 134 against Kolkata Knight Riders and recorded their second consecutive win in the tournament to get back into the contention. But the high was short lived as they tamely surrendered the advantage by losing to KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the next two home games. The week, however, ended on a positive note as they defeated Mumbai Indians on their own turf by six wickets.
Here are the seven notable events of the last seven days for Kings XI Punjab
Blow of the week
With the team not doing well, KXIP needed their inspiration coach cum captain Adam Gilchrist to lead from the front but a hamstring pull against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali on Wednesday restricted Gilchrist’s involvement to just one game in the past week. Even though KXIP registered a comprehensive 6 wicket win, Gilchrist’s availability is a cause of concern as they will need the experience of their skipper in the future games.
Debutant of the week
It feels awkward to address a debutant as a veteran but that’s what Azhar Mahmood was when he played his first IPL game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday. With over 2000 runs and 100 wickets in 117 matches, the IPL debutant was the most experienced twenty20 player in the line up. He also lived up to the expectations with a breezy 33 off just 14 balls.
Innings of the Week
Batting has been a worry for Punjab this season but their top run getter with 199 runs this season, Shaun Marsh, stepped up and ensured that the issue is addressed when it mattered the most with an unbeaten 68 off 40 deliveries. Chasing a formidable target of 164 against Mumbai, Marsh played the near perfect innings to guide his team home. After a solid partnership with David Hussey which laid the platform, Marsh stayed till the very end and took his side past the winning line.
Find of the week
The pace attack of KXIP has a number of medium pacers who rely heavily on sideways movement to trouble the batsmen. But on Friday against RCB, everyone realized that there is someone who can push the batsman to their back foot. The little known Delhi paceman Parvinder Awana rattled the RCB top order with his pace on a bouncy Mohali track and had them reeling at 25/3. He came back to claim his fourth wicket in his second spell but it was not enough for the home side.
Over of the week
Praveen Kumar has taken just two wickets this season but has been quite economical with the new ball. On Sunday against Mumbai he started off things in brilliant fashion as he sent down an outstanding maiden over and beat James Franklin’s edge four times. In the slam bang version of the game, it was refreshing to see the traditional struggle of an opener against a swinging ball.
Catch of the week
The stand in skipper David Hussey ran out of ideas as Chris Gayle and Ab de Villiers ran amok at Mohali. But with the match almost in the bag, Gayle provided half a chance and Hussey pulled off an absolute blinder. Though the moment of brilliance failed to inspire his team, the effort has a very good chance of being adjudged as the catch of the tournament.
Controversy of the week
Be it the slapgate or questions about Lalit Modi’s personal interest with KXIP, the Mohali based team has had its share of controversies. When Shaun Marsh had to walk back due to a questionable decision against Kolkata, the team owner Priety Zinta was not amused and had a word with the match officials. Though skipper Gilchrist took control of the situation and asked his owner to calm down, Zinta’s actions were enough for IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla to sought a report from the match referee regarding the incident.