IPL 2020 | Chris Gayle's 99 goes in vain as RR thump KXIP by seven wickets

Rajasthan Royals (RR), keeping their playoff hopes alive, thrashed Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) by seven wickets and pocked two much-needed points on Friday.

After being put to bat first, KXIP's run-flow was bolstered by Chris Gayle's fireworks. He smashed 99 off just 63 balls to put KXIP on top.

Gayle was also assisted by skipper KL Rahul as the duo stitched 120 for the second wicket. KXIP managed to post a challenging total of 185 on the board.

Ben Stokes emerged as the hero in RR's emphatic run-chase. He smashed a quick-fire half-century to steer his side to a flying start.

Sanju Samson (48) and Robin Uthappa (30) also stitched vital knocks to keep the scoreboard ticking.

In the end, skipper Smith (31) and Jos Buttler (22) steered RR to the target in just 17.3 overs. With this vital win, they've now climbed up to the fifth spot in the points table.