"Treating Rabada like Kabada"- Fans erupt as KL Rahul, Agarwal destroy DC bowling attack
KL Rahul will be satisfied with the effort his men have put in to post a daunting total of 195-4 in their 20 overs against the Delhi Capitals (DC). On his 29th birthday, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper played another responsible knock of 61, while his opening partner Mayank Agarwal stole the show with a blistering 69.
PBKS had been rattled by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their previous game. But their batting unit brilliantly responded to that debacle and the opening pair of KL Rahul and Agarwal led from the front.
The duo put on a huge stand of 122 runs for the first wicket and that set things up nicely for PBKS. Although they lost their way a bit in the middle, useful cameos from Deepak Hooda and Shahrukh Khan took PBKS closer to the 200-run mark.
Twitter reacts to the carnage from KL Rahul and Agarwal
PBKS fans were delighted to see KL Rahul and his men dish out a strong batting performance. Here's what they had to say about their star opening combination as well as their innings in general:
There has been much debate over whether explosive West Indies batsman Chris Gayle must open the batting for PBKS. But the innings tonight from both KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal proved why the PBKS team management has been backing this combination.
KL Rahul played the typical anchor role and let Agarwal take the game to the opposition. Right from the get-go, Agarwal dominated the DC bowlers and gave Rahul the time he needed to get his eye in.
They also targeted DC's best bowler in Kagiso Rabada while their skipper Rishabh Pant looked to be running out of ideas. Some late wickets ensured that DC didn't let PBKS cross the 200-run mark.
With dew being a factor and the DC openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan in top form, DC might fancy themselves chasing this total down.