First it was Yousuf Abdulla who picked up four wickets to become the leading wicket taker of the IPL 2 season. Then, there was Yuvraj Singh, captain of the Kings XI Punjab, who brought the game alive with a hat trick. That the Royal Challengers Bangalore managed to eclipse them both is then credit for their win.
When Yuvraj Singh struck for the Mohali team towards the end of the twelfth over of the RCB innings, the latter had only started going with Jacques Kallis using Robin Uthappa for company. But from eighty for three, RCB were reduced to eighty-four for six. That they still overcame the early blows of South African bowler Abdulla and survived the setback of Yuvraj sending Uthappa, Kallis and Mark Boucher in quick succession saw them through to 145. After Kallis’ twenty-seven and the havoc, Roelof van der Merwe got the RCB the crucial late runs with his thirty-five from nineteen balls that included three sixes.
Yuvraj Singh promoted himself to the opening slot after Ravi Bopara left for England, and while he took his time to motor along, his eventual acceleration for half century was just the tonic the Kings XI Punjab team needed to chase down the runs. But their story soon became one of being in touchable distance but somehow finding themselves too far. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene tried to put up a partnership after Yuvraj fell, and Irfan Pathan was left to chase down the thirteen runs needed in the final over. Praveen Kumar held his own and other than losing Pathan and Piyush Chawla, Kings XI stared at an eight run defeat on a day when Anil Kumble was leading the winning IPL Twenty20 team! More spin treats for the day.
IPL 2 Game 23: MI Make It against KKR
IPL 2 Game 22: Royals Stripped Further By Super Kings
IPL 2 Game 21: Chargers Taste Defeat against Daredevils
IPL 2 Game 20: Kings Lord Over Indians by 3 Runs
IPL 2 Game 19: RCB Flatten KKR
IPL 2 Game 18: Royals Pull One Finally, Daredevils Cough
IPL 2 Game 16: Gibbs Powers Chargers to Win over Super Kings
IPL 2 Game 15: Kings XI Shred Royals Tag
IPL 2 Game 14: RCB Mess Up Against Daredevils
IPL 2 Game 13: Rain, Team Unrest Mar KKR Progress
IPL 2 Game 12: Charging to Down the Mumbai Indians
IPL 2 Game 11: RCB Fail to Get Past Kings XI
IPL 2 Game 10: KKR Hand Match to Royals, In Super Over as Well!
IPL 2 Game 9: Daredevils Dare to Race Past Super Kings
IPL 2 Game 8: Gilly Leads Chargers to Beat Royal Challenge
Cheerleaders: Running Wild and Free
IPL 2: No Respite from the Rain
IPL 2 Game 7: Mumbai’s Tie with Rajasthan That Never Got Underway
7 Minute Itch: Taking the Fizz Out of the Game
IPL 2 Game 6: KKR Win One, KXIP Suffer Weather Blues Again
Game 5: Chennai Ride on Haydos for Win in Southern Battle
IPL 2 Game 4: KKR Shown the Door by Charging Deccans
IPL Game 3: Daredevils Have One on the Kings
IPL Game 2: RCB and Rahul Spring One on Rajasthan
