Kings XI Punjab's Chris Gayle heaped praises on his teammate KL Rahul, stating that the Indian batsman was one of the best openers he has played with in his career.
The Indian batsman hit an explosive 36-ball 71 as Kings XI Punjab defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in the side's final group stage game of the IPL here on Sunday.
Gayle and Rahul added 108 runs for the opening wicket in a blistering fashion as the Punjab-franchise chased 171 with two overs to spare.
In a chat after the match, Gayle told Rahul, "You're one of the best opening partners I've had. Our communication between the wickets was fantastic."
Rahul, in reply, stated that the West Indian batsman has played a significant role in his development as an opener.
"He (Gayle) saw me as a 21-year-old in RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore)," Rahul said.
"I've learned so much from him as an opening batsman. From then to now, he's not said anything different. I've learned so much from him, and we've enjoyed playing together."
Kings XI Punjab ended their 2019 IPL campaign at the sixth position with 12 points from 14 games. Rahul ended the season as their highest run-getter with 593 runs from 14 games, followed by Gayle who amassed 490 runs from 13 games.
The duo shared two hundred-run partnerships.
