Hyderabad: Kings XI Punjab once again showed their batting might as the table-toppers chased down another 200-plus run target to comfortably beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in an IPL match here today.
Chasing 206 for victory, the Punjab top-order pulled off another run feast—their second 200-pus run chase in this IPL—to canter to their target in 18.4 overs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Punjab batsmen struck from the word go, even after losing Virender Sehwag (4) on the second ball of the innings.
Wriddhiman Saha (54 off 26 balls) and Manan Vohra (47) managed a 91-run second-wicket partnership to provide a solid platform for the big chase.
Saha led the assault with the duo getting 20 runs from the sixth over and taking their side to 86 after the powerplays.
Saha though ran out of steam when Karn Sharma got him stumped but the leg-spinner's joy was short-lived as Glenn Maxwell came to the crease. The current orange-cap holder belted Karn for three sixes to continue with the momentum.
Vohra was unlucky to to be run out while backing off at the non-striker's end but Maxwell got a lucky repreive when he survived a catch with Amit Mishra bowling a no ball.
In blistering form, Maxwell continued to hit fours and sixes as Punjab reached 150 in double quick time -- 156/3 in 12 overs.
Mishra finally got his revenge when Maxwell (43 off 22 balls) tried to come down the crease and hit the leggie over long-off only to find Dale Steyn's safe pair of hands.
George Bailey also got a lucky escape when David Warner's stunning catch was not called legitimate by the third umpire.
Punjab skipper probably wanted that bit of luck as the Aussie hit two sixes and two fours in the final Dale Steyn over to make the mountain climb look easy.
Punjab finally won the game with eight balls to spare with Bailey fittingly hitting the winning six off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Bailey (35 not out) and Miller 24 (not out) managed an unbeaten 52-run stand to disappoint the home crowd.
