IPL 2020: KXIP won their 5th straight match, thrash Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets

Kings XI Punjab have made it 5 out of 5. KL Rahul's men have stormed into the top 4 of IPL 2020 points table after thrashing Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets in their crunch encounter in Sharjah on Monday, pushing Eoin Morgan's men to the 4th spot.

Chris Gayle hit a 29-ball 51, smashing 5 sixes and 2 boundaries. He got out only in the 19th over of a 150-run chase but the batting great had done the damage by then. Mandeep Singh, who opened again in the absence of Mayank Agarwal, hit 66 from 56 balls and remained unbeaten as KXIP got past the finish line with 7 balls to spare at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

A couple of weeks ago, Kings XI Punjab were languishing at the bottom of the points table with just 1 win in 7 games. However, KXIP have won 5 on the bounce, scripting a remarkable comeback. They are now on course to seal a play-offs berth.

It's safe to say Chris Gayle's addition has brought in new energy to the team. The West Indies great was warming the benches for their first 7 matches but once he came into the playing XI, it's been a different KXIP side on the park. Gayle has not just provided the team with the spark they needed but by batting at No.3, he has allowed more freedom for their openers, including KL Rahul.

It was evident on Monday as Chris Gayle not just turned around the game during their chase of 150 but took the game away from KKR with



great support from opener Mandeep Singh. Gayle walked in when KXIP were in a spot of bother, having lost KL Rahul to Varun Chakravarthy in the 8th over. KXIP were struggling to get going and had managed just 47 runs in 8 overs.

However, Gayle did what he does the best -- send it flying across all parts of the park. Gayle was severe against KKR spinners Sunil Narine and Chakravarthy. He was severe against the pacers as well, never letting the ask rate creep up.

Mandeep, who had lost his father a couple of days ago, showed grit and determination as he hung around despite a slow start and remained unbeaten in the end.

Earlier, in the day, Kings XI Punjab began the match on a high with Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Shami jolting the Kolkata Knight Riders. Shami picked Rahul Tripathi and Dinesh Karthik in the same over while Maxwell got the big wicket of Nitish Rana as early as the 2nd ball of the match.

However, Eoin Morgan and Shubman Gill counter-attack with a 81-run stand in just 47 balls but young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi got the big wicket of Morgan to dent KKR's progress. Shami returned to pick up Gill who fell just after getting to a fine fifty.

There was no contribution from the lower-middle order as KXIP were clinical at the death once again. Chris Jordan and Ravi Bishnoi picked up 2 wickets each while Murugan Ashwin picked up one.