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Mohali: Glenn Maxwell played a scintillating cameo hitting an unbeaten 32 off 14 balls under pressure to power Kings XI Punjab to a six-wicket win over Rising Pune Supergiants to notch up their first victory in the ninth edition of the IPL cricket tournament today.
Chasing a target of 153, Kings XI Punjab were put in a spot of bother as they slumped to 119 for 4 in the 17th over after a fluent opening stand of 97 between Manan Vohra (51) and Murali Vijay (53). But it was Maxwell who helped the team romp home in 18.4 overs as they won their first match in their third encounter.
Pune Supergiants have now lost two consecutive matches after having won their first game in Mumbai.
Just when it looked that KXIP were trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, Maxwell brought his big-hitting prowess to the fore as he belted three fours and two sixes in quick time to win a match that the home team ought to have won easily.
The fifth wicket stand between Maxwell and Wriddhiman Saha yielded 34 runs in only 2.2 overs in which India’s Test wicketkeeper contributed only four runs.
Once KXIP skipper David Miller (7) was gone, there were ominous signs but Maxwell hit a six and four each off successive overs from the two Ashwins-leg-spinner Murugan (3/36 in 4 overs) and off-spinner Ravichandran (0/27 in 4 overs) to settle the issue.
He finished the match with an imperious cover drive off Thisara Perera. However, the Kings XI coach Sanjay Bangar should be unhappy that there were tense moments especially after the start that they got.
The elegant Murali Vijay hit 53 off 49 balls with five fours and two huge sixes-an inside out lofted cover drive off Ishant Sharma and a pull off Murugan. His partner Vohra got 51 off 33 balls with seven delectable boundaries that also earned him the Man of the Match award. It looked as if it would be walk in the park before Vohra was trapped leg before trying to sweep left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma. Shaun Marsh (4) was accounted by Murugan with a delivery that went straight and breached his defences. (PTI)
score board
Rising Pune Supergiants innings
AM Rahane b Sandeep Sharma 09
F du Plessis c & b Sharma 67
KP Pietersen c Vohra b Abbott 15
NLTC Perera c Sharma b Sandeep Sharma 08
SPD Smith c Miller b Sharma 38
MS Dhoni*† c Maxwell b Sharma 01
IK Pathan run out (Maxwell/†Saha) 02
R Ashwin not out 01
Extras 11
Total 152/7
Kings XI Punjab innings
M Vijay c †Dhoni b M Ashwin 53
M Vohra lbw b Ankit Sharma 51
SE Marsh b M Ashwin 04
DA Miller*c Pietersen b M Ashwin 07
GJ Maxwell not out 32
WP Saha† not out 04
Extras 02
Total 153/4
