Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals by 27 runs

All-rounder Irfan Pathan struck a valuable 39 and then picked up two crucial wickets to fashion Kings XI Punjab's convincing 27-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League match in Cape Town, reports HT Correspondent. See Special | Listen to podcast

Irfan Pathan led the battle of the brothers on the field and with it Preity Zinta was able to lord it over rival team-owner Shilpa Shetty. The Kings XI Punjab began as though they had lost the plot in their match against the Rajasthan Royals but a gritty, fighting effort gave them victory by 27 runs.

HT Image

After choosing to bat Punjab slumped badly, with four of their top five falling before there was fifty on the board. Kumar Sangakkara (60) resurrected the innings with Irfan Pathan (39) providing a late rally. Irfan (2/26) and Yusuf Abdulla (3/21) then blew Rajasthan away.

Kings XI Punjab: Bopara c Munaf b Kamran 11 (15 balls, 2x4), Goel run out 0 (0b), Sangakkara run out 60 (51b, 7x4, 1x6), Yuvraj c Rawat b Munaf 2 (3b), Jayawardene c Kamran b Munaf 7 (10b), I Pathan b Kamran 39 (33b, 2x4, 2x6), Chawla not out 6 (6b, 1x4), Mota not out 1 (2b)

Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 9) 13

Total (6 wkts; 20 overs) 139

Fall of wkts: 1-0, 2-21, 3-38, 4-48, 5-123, 6-130.

Bowling: Kamran 4-0-15-2, Mascarenhas 4-0-29-0, Munaf 4-0-24-2, Y Pathan 4-0-30-0, Warne 4-0-37-0.

Rajasthan Royals: Asnodkar c Powar b Pathan 3 (4b), Smith c Sangakkara b Pathan 2 (6b), Quiney c Sangakkara b Abdulla 7 (8b, 1x4), Y Pathan c Goel b Chawla 10 (13b, 2x4), Mascarenhas b Abdulla 4 (2b, 1x4), Jadeja b Abdulla 37 (44b, 2x4), Raut c Powar b Chawla 1 (4b), Warne not out 34 (33b, 3x4), Rawat not out 4 (6b);

Extras (lb 5, w 5) 10;

Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 112

Fall of wkts: 1-7, 2-9, 3-23, 4-27, 5-36, 6-42, 7-102
Bowling: Powar 2-0-10-0; I Pathan 4-0-26-2; Abdulla 4-0-21-3; VRV 4-0-19-0; Chawla 4-0-22-2; Yuvraj 2-0-9-0.