A 122-run opening stand between Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul got Punjab Kings off to a smashing start in their IPL 2021 match agains Delhi Capitals on Sunday evening in Mumbai.
After being put into bat first by Rishabh Pant, birthday boy KL Rahul’s team posted 195/4 in their 20 overs.
A somewhat out of form Mayank Agarwal found his groove as he smashed Lukman Meriwala for a boundary, a six and another boundary in the second over of the match. The next over bowled by Chris Woakes went for 10 runs with Mayank smashing the Englishman for back-to-back boundaries. Ashwin too was not spared as the veteran spinner was sent for a six and a four in the ninth over that went for 13 runs.
Mayank completed his half century by hitting Avesh Khan for a boundary in the 10th over and then switched gears in the next, hitting Kagiso Rabada for two sixes. KL Rahul too joined the party, hitting the South African pacer for yet another maximum as his 11th over went for 20 runs.
In the end, it was Meriwal who got his revenge, picking the wicket of the opener in the 13th over. Caught by Shikhar Dhawan on 69.
KL Rahul though continued on, in the company of Chris Gayle, and completed his half century in the next over. After being dropped on the first ball of the 15th over, Rahul Avesh Khan for 10 runs before finally giving the Delhi bowlers some reprieve as Kagiso Rabada ended his inning on 61.
The team’s score was 141/2 in 15.2 overs at the fall of the skipper’s wicket but from there Delhi somewhat managed to peg back the flow of runs as Gayle fell on 11, Deepak Hooda made 22 off 13, Nicolas Pooran scored 9 off 8. Shahrukh Khan’s late flourish saw him score 15 runs off 5 deliveries as Punjab posted 195/4.
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