IPL 2 Game 15: Kings XI Shred Royals Tag

Two teams that have struggled immensely faced off at Newlands, Cape Town. Only one could have come out unscathed. Instead while one team did suffer a few scratches, the nails in the coffin are beginning to show for the Rajasthan Royals.
The Kings XI Punjab did not post too big a target to chase for the Rajasthan Royals. But what the Mohali team had going for them on the night was a few star performers and they did not disappoint.
Irfan Pathan was pushed into the batsman’s role after Kumar Sangakkara proved the lone useful batting hand at the top of the order. Sangakkara’s sixty was in stark contrast to the scorecard for the rest of the Kings XI Punjab batsmen. With only Ravi Bopara getting into double digits before him, it was left to Sangakkara and later Irfan Pathan to inject the desperately needed runs. Irfan’s thirty-nine was just the blistering cameo needed to complement Sangakkara’s sublime knock.
But despite the heroics, the Kings XI Punajb team found themselves rather fragile with just139 runs on board. On the other hand, the target was just perfect for the ailing Rajasthan Royals team to pick them up from their backsides, leave aside the over confidence in IPL season one followed by jarring defeats in IPL 2, and get crucial points on board.
Those aspirations though were quickly doused as Irfan Pathan produced magic with the ball this time while Yousuf Abdulla gave his team further validation for having picked him. Irfan Pathan broke the backbone that helped the Royals last year, the opening pair. Swapnil Asnodkar and Graeme Smith were the twin wickets in the second over the Rajasthan innings that left them already forlorn at two down for nine. Yousuf Abdulla polished off the middle order including that of promising young Ravindra Jadeja, Australian hopes Rob Quiney and England talent Dmitri Mascarenhas. Piyush Chawla got into the act as well picking up the other Pathan match winner, Yousuf.
From 2/9 to 4/27 to 6/42, the Rajasthan Royals had no answer to Kings XI Punjab’s left arm bowling attack. And they do not have an answer to their own dismal display this year.