Kings XI Punjab were put into bat first by Steve Smith and while the move reaped early rewards for Rajasthan Royals, Chris Gayle’s 99 ensured the team got to the solid total of 185/4 in 20 overs.
It’s a must-win match for the Royals while KXIP need a win to solidify their playoff hopes and Rajasthan drew first blood with Mandeep Singh getting out on the last ball of the first over. Jofra Archer was the bowler.
Chris Gayle then came out to join skipper kL Rahul and the duo stitched together a mammoth 120-run stand for the second wicket.
Gayle got to his half century in 34 balls, his third in six matches for KXIP this season.
Eventually though, Archer got the prized wicket, castling Gayle on 99 in the fourth ball of the last over. The former West Indies captain was denied his 23rd T20 ton.
Left-handed Gayle hit six fours and eight sixes on his way to 99 off 63 balls. He surpassed 1,000 sixes in the shortest format of the game.
After Rahul got out, Gayle added 41 runs with Nicholas Pooran and then upped the ante when Glenn Maxwell joined him in the middle.
Archer returned for his last over and bowled an inch-perfect yorker that went past Gayle’s inside edge, hit his pad and ricocheted on to the wicket.
The bat then slipped out of Gayle's hand as he looked to hit the ground with it, before he shook hands with Archer.
A win tonight for KXIP would all but confirm their passage into the playoffs.
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