MOHALI: A century from Hashim Amla and a half-century by Shaun Marsh helped
Kings XI Punjab
post 189/3 against
Gujarat Lions in their
Indian Premier League (
IPL) match here on Sunday evening. In normal circumstances that should have helped them to victory, but
Dwayne Smith benefited from some profligate fielding from the hosts as he was dropped twice during his knock of 74 (39 balls, 8x4, 4x6) which led to the Lions chasing the score down in 19.4 overs. The result puts a dent over Kings XI Punjab's chances of making the playoffs.
In pics: KXIP vs GL IPL match highlightsThe Lions needed 24 off the last two overs after Sandeep Sharma had bowled a good 18th over, but Aaron conceded 16 runs by bowling on both sides of the wicket and that meant the Lions needed just 8 off the final over which
Dinesh Karthik (35*, 23 balls, 2x4, 1x6) managed without any issue. Lions skipper
Suresh Raina scored a breezy 25-ball 39 and became the first player in IPL to score 4500 runs. He is also the only player to have scored over 400 runs in eight of the 10 IPL editions.
Earlier, Amla plundered 104 runs off 60 balls with eight boundaries and five sixes before being trapped lbw by an accurate yorker from Gujarat pacer Basil Thampi on the penultimate ball of the innings.
This was his second hundred in the IPL. Sadly, both have come in a losing cause.
Amla was also involved two crucial partnerships with Marsh and Glenn Maxwell.
Marsh made 58 runs with six boundaries studding his 43-ball knock.
Gujarat pacers Thampi, Pradeep Sangwan and Dhawal Kulkarni picked up a wicket each. Punjab were off to a slow start as Gujarat pacers Sangwan and Kulkarni maintained a tight line. Sangwan struck in the very first over with a chest high-short ball to Gujarat opener Martin Guptill on the off stump line. The Kiwi star tried to hook but only managed a top edge to Thampi.
Brief scores: Kings XI Punjab: 1893 in 20 overs (H Amla 104, Shaun Marsh 58) lost to Gujarat Lions 192 for 4 in 19.4 overs (D Smith 74, S Raina 39, D Karthik 35*; S Sharma 2-29)