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A top-class unbeaten half-century by Kevin Pietersen steered the Bangalore Royal Challengers to a dramatic six-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings XI in their Indian Premier League match in Mohali on Friday.
Pietersen compiled a breezy 66 not out off 44 balls as a late run-splurge carried the Challengers to a victory that looked unlikely at times.
They had a buffer of five balls remaining at the end, thanks mainly to a sensational over of hitting by Robin Uthappa as Brett Lee conceded 25 runs off the 17th over, which had begun with Bangalore needing 48 from 24 balls. The Australian conceded 48 runs in his four overs and Rusty Theron will surely be called back into the side for their next match.
Uthappa's innings of 22 off eight balls turned a nigh impossible task into a doddle, with Pietersen finishing the job by lashing Irfan Pathan over extra cover for his sixth four to go with one six.
The Kings XI, defending 181, had started well with Shalabh Srivastava sending Jacques Kallis (9) back to the dugout with his first delivery, but Manish Pandey and Pietersen put the innings back on an even keel.
Pandey was unfortunate to be run out for 29 by bowler Bipul Sharma, who was unable to catch Pietersen's hit straight back at him, the ball going from his fingertips and on to the stumps.
Left-arm spinners Bipul and Yuvraj made the run-gathering go quiet for a while before Virat Kohli's innings of 42 off 26 balls, which was one of the keys in Bangalore's victory.
A spate of dropped catches in the closing overs was also why Punjab allowed the match to slip from their grasp.
Kumar Sangakkara had provided the early platform and Ravi Bopara and Yuvraj the fine finish as the Punjab Kings XI scored 181 for five.
Yuvraj contradicted current opinion in India that he is a sulking non-performer as he bashed 36 off 20 balls, while Sangakkara set up a strong position as he blazed 45 off 27 balls. Bopara was poles apart as he cleverly manipulated the ball around the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium to finish with 42 not out off 33 deliveries.
Opener Manvinder Bisla (28) and Pathan (16 off five balls) also had brief but productive stays at the crease at the beginning and end of the innings respectively, after the Kings XI chose to bat first.
The Royal Challengers are battling a mid-tournament slump that has seen them lose their last two matches and their bowling was disappointingly inconsistent.
Sangakkara charged after Dale Steyn from the outset, as 13 runs came from the South African's first over, but a top-class comeback by the fast bowler saw him finish with one for 31 in four overs.
Captain Anil Kumble claimed one for 20 in his first three overs, before a costly last over in which Yuvraj and Bopara took 13 runs.
Vinay Kumar claimed a wicket in his first over, having Shaun Marsh caught at slip for two, but finished with one for 24 in three overs.
Fellow opening bowler Praveen Kumar has still not fixed his accuracy problems and conceded 37 runs in his four overs.
Kallis's day was a non-event as he took one for 45 in his four overs.
Teams:
Kings XI Punjab: SE Marsh, RS Bopara, MS Bisla, Yuvraj Singh, KC Sangakkara (capt & wk), IK Pathan, PP Chawla, B Lee, SJ Srivastava, Bipul Sharma, S Sreesanth
Royal Challengers Bangalore: JH Kallis, MK Pandey, RV Uthappa (wk), V Kohli, R Dravid, KP Pietersen, CL White, P Kumar, A Kumble (capt), R Vinay Kumar, DW Steyn
Pietersen compiled a breezy 66 not out off 44 balls as a late run-splurge carried the Challengers to a victory that looked unlikely at times.
They had a buffer of five balls remaining at the end, thanks mainly to a sensational over of hitting by Robin Uthappa as Brett Lee conceded 25 runs off the 17th over, which had begun with Bangalore needing 48 from 24 balls. The Australian conceded 48 runs in his four overs and Rusty Theron will surely be called back into the side for their next match.
Uthappa's innings of 22 off eight balls turned a nigh impossible task into a doddle, with Pietersen finishing the job by lashing Irfan Pathan over extra cover for his sixth four to go with one six.
The Kings XI, defending 181, had started well with Shalabh Srivastava sending Jacques Kallis (9) back to the dugout with his first delivery, but Manish Pandey and Pietersen put the innings back on an even keel.
Pandey was unfortunate to be run out for 29 by bowler Bipul Sharma, who was unable to catch Pietersen's hit straight back at him, the ball going from his fingertips and on to the stumps.
Left-arm spinners Bipul and Yuvraj made the run-gathering go quiet for a while before Virat Kohli's innings of 42 off 26 balls, which was one of the keys in Bangalore's victory.
A spate of dropped catches in the closing overs was also why Punjab allowed the match to slip from their grasp.
Kumar Sangakkara had provided the early platform and Ravi Bopara and Yuvraj the fine finish as the Punjab Kings XI scored 181 for five.
Yuvraj contradicted current opinion in India that he is a sulking non-performer as he bashed 36 off 20 balls, while Sangakkara set up a strong position as he blazed 45 off 27 balls. Bopara was poles apart as he cleverly manipulated the ball around the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium to finish with 42 not out off 33 deliveries.
Opener Manvinder Bisla (28) and Pathan (16 off five balls) also had brief but productive stays at the crease at the beginning and end of the innings respectively, after the Kings XI chose to bat first.
The Royal Challengers are battling a mid-tournament slump that has seen them lose their last two matches and their bowling was disappointingly inconsistent.
Sangakkara charged after Dale Steyn from the outset, as 13 runs came from the South African's first over, but a top-class comeback by the fast bowler saw him finish with one for 31 in four overs.
Captain Anil Kumble claimed one for 20 in his first three overs, before a costly last over in which Yuvraj and Bopara took 13 runs.
Vinay Kumar claimed a wicket in his first over, having Shaun Marsh caught at slip for two, but finished with one for 24 in three overs.
Fellow opening bowler Praveen Kumar has still not fixed his accuracy problems and conceded 37 runs in his four overs.
Kallis's day was a non-event as he took one for 45 in his four overs.
Teams:
Kings XI Punjab: SE Marsh, RS Bopara, MS Bisla, Yuvraj Singh, KC Sangakkara (capt & wk), IK Pathan, PP Chawla, B Lee, SJ Srivastava, Bipul Sharma, S Sreesanth
Royal Challengers Bangalore: JH Kallis, MK Pandey, RV Uthappa (wk), V Kohli, R Dravid, KP Pietersen, CL White, P Kumar, A Kumble (capt), R Vinay Kumar, DW Steyn
