Led by a new captain and a new coach, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) started their Indian Premier League (IPL) season with six losses in seven games. However, the franchise has bounced back with three consecutive wins that has pushed them from the bottom of the standings to the fifth spot and within reach of a Playoffs berth.
After their latest win over table-toppers Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, 20 October, a happy KXIP captain KL Rahul said that if things continued to come together like they had been, he’s always come to the press conferences with a “big smile”.
“Things are looking good for the team, lots of things falling into place. The work put in by coaches and boys is slowly started to show on the field, which is a great sign. Hopefully, we can build from here, learn from our mistakes and go forward with more confidence.”KL Rahul
While their first match of this run ended in an eight-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, they got over the line only on the last ball. Their previous win came after an extraordinary two Super Overs against the Mumbai Indians. On Tuesday, KXIP chased down their target against DC with five wickets in hand and a full over remaining.
“Teams like Delhi and Mumbai are sitting at the top of the points table because they’re very strong teams and they’ve played really well this season. The talk before the Mumbai game was that these two games are really big but it’s important that we stick to our strengths, keep trusting our skills and keep giving our best.”KL Rahul
While DC scored 164/5, 106 of their runs were scored by opener Shikhar Dhawan. The rest were limited to scoring just 54 runs off 59 balls by KXIP's bowling lineup led by Mohammed Shami, who took two wickets.
"We all know what Shami can do on a given day, he has been doing that for many years now. This year he has shown a lot more clarity as a senior bowler," said Rahul.
‘Glenn Maxwell a Great Team Man’
Glenn Maxwell, who had been having a poor run this season far, also managed to score a decent 32 off 24 balls. KXIP were 56/3 wickets in 5.5 overs before he and Nicholas Pooran took control of the proceedings and repaired the damage with a crucial 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
“Obviously when 11 guys are playing. Not everyone will have a good on the field. It is important for the team to back the match-winners,” said KL Rahul.
"We know what Maxwell can do when he comes good, he gives a lot solidity to the team and he balances out the team really well. He’s a great team man – bats, bowls and fields really well. To have Maxi come in the form is a very good sign and will ease his nerves a bit. Every batsman loves to hit the ball and spend some time in the middle. Really happy that he’s come good today,” he said.
On KXIP’s way going forward, the skipper said, “We’re at that stage in the tournament where we need to beat everybody that we face. It’s important that we take it one game at a time. If we keep trusting ourselves, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
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