IPL 2020: Twitter erupts as KXIP stage an unbelievable comeback against SRH
The Kings XI Punjab staged an unimaginable comeback against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and won the game by 12 runs in the 43rd match of IPL 2020 in Dubai.
Chasing just 126 for victory, the Sunrisers looked in complete control of the game, but the Kings XI clawed their way back in and picked up two extremely crucial points. It is their 4th consecutive win, and it takes them to 5th place on the points table. They are now hot on the heels of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the race to the playoffs.
After being asked to bat first, the Punjab franchise got off to a watchful start. Mandeep Singh opened the batting alongside skipper KL Rahul as Mayank Agarwal was sidelined after picking up a minor injury in the previous game.
Things were going steadily for KXIP as they ended the powerplay on 47/1. However, 3 quick wickets meant that the Sunrisers put the brakes on the scoring rate. The middle overs were anything but productive for KXIP, and they failed to score even a single boundary between overs 8 and 18. This meant that they could only manage a below-par total of a 126/7 from their 20 overs.
In response, the Sunrisers were off to a positive start with bat in hand. They scored 50/0 in the powerplay, and seemed firmly in control. While the Rahul-led side did strangle SRH's batting order with a few wickets in the middle overs, the odds were still in SRH's favour.
The Sunrisers were motoring along comfortably at 99/3 after 16 overs, and needed only 28 runs from 24 balls. Moreover, they had two set batsman at the crease in Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar. Pandey, however, got impatient and tried to take on Jordan in the following over but it ended with Jagadeesha Suchith pouching a stunner at long-off, and Pandey was on his way after a 29-ball 15.
That was the spark of inspiration that KXIP needed. Vijay Shankar was then dismissed in the very next over while trying fend off a length delivery from Arshdeep, and suddenly, alarm bells were going off in the SRH camp. Things only went downhill from thereon for SRH though.
They lost Holder and Rashid Khan in the very next over, which was also the penultimate over of the innings. In the end, 15 to get off the last over was a little too much for young Priyam Garg as the Sunrisers were bowled out with a ball remaining and the Preity Zinta-owned side claimed the most unlikeliest of victories.
The IPL points table list 2020 has been updated!! Click here to see.
See how Twitter reacted to KXIP's incredible victory