Jaipur: Kings XI Punjab were handed a nine wicket defeat by hosts Rajasthan Royals, demoralising Sangakkara’s boys even further.
Michael Lumb took it upon himself to embarrass the away side, and it he did that with much aplomb - the Punjab bowlers just couldn’t compete with the Englishman’s ferocity.
Lumb was in the zone and it was clear no amount of sledging would distract him from his goal. His innings of 83 off 43 balls virtually made sure the Royals took home the spoils with complete ease.
Ravi Bopara got his fellow countryman in the 10th over, but the Kings knew it was never going to be enough to restrict the Royals this evening. Keeping with the momentum, Naman Ojha and Yusuf Pathan saw the Royals through with as many as 24 balls to spare.
Kumar Sangakkara needed something to go his way, and the toss certainly did as the Kings came out to bat. A positive spirit was palpable in the Kings camp. But after a brisk start from openers Manvinder Bisla and Mahela Jayawardene, the Royals struck their first blow.
Shane Watson got one to bounce and Bisla’s gamble didn’t pay off. Jayawardene continued to excel with his classy shots always keeping the scoreboard ticking.
But the Kings’ middle order surrendered meekly - Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh’s dismissals meant the away side were on the back foot once again. And once Jayawardene fell after making 44 (33), the crowd knew who as on top.
To add to their woes, Ravi Bopara’s moment of madness gifted the Royals a bonus wicket. Shane Watson and Siddharth Trivedi made sure the Kings ended up scoring 153/6, with some truly sublime death over bowling.
The Pink City was painted blue for a change and the Kings XI Punjab were surely made to feel the blues by the rampaging Royals as they maintained their push for a Top 4 spot.
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