Related Links : DLF Indian Premier League (3) 2009/10 | IPL Archives : Indian Premier League – 2 | Indian Premier League – 1 | Scorecard of Deccan Chargers Vs Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab suffered its third straight defeat of this season’s IPl after going down to Deccan Chargers at Cuttack. The Chargers won the match by 6 runs after putting up a modest total of 170 for 7. Swing was the key for their victory with once again veteran Chaminda Vaas making vital inroads.
Batting first, the Chargers started off well and were on course for a 200-run total but lost their way totally. Fortunately with Andrew Symonds coming good with a 38-ball 53 and a few terrible fielding lapses helped the Chargers to put that decent total. Skipper Gilchrist had yet again given them an impetus with a cameo of 33 from 12 balls. The Chargers had lost VVS Laxman in the batting when he was forced to retire hurt after getting hit just below the elbow by a throw. For the Kings XI Punjab, Yuvraj Singh bowled superbly for his 2 for 21 in 4 overs.
The Kings XI innings was shattered by Vaas who picked up the big wickets of Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh cheaply. Symonds gave the death blow by removing Mahela Jayawardene and the rest of the batsmen were all gone trying to clear the field mostly. Opener Ravi Bopara was almost the lone man fighting but he too departed having made 38.
In the last few overs, Irfan Pathan unleashed some destructive blows to bring the Kings XI back in the game miraculously but he got out in the last over when 19 runs were required for a win. Irfan scored 60 from 29 balls with 3 fours and as many as 5 sixes! One of the sixes from Irfan Pathan was 105 meters long and it fell on the roof of the stadium over mid wicket. It was the best six of this IPL and also the biggest one. Andrew Symonds was the Man of the Match for scoring the fifty, swinging the ball nicely for his 1 for 22 in 4 overs and also fielding well in the outfield.
This interestingly was only the first home victory for Deccan Chargers in the entire IPL history though Cuttack is only the adopted home. And add to that it was the first time that they beat Kings XI Punjab in a total of five attempts!