The second match of Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore was not an easy one as the team almost recovered from the return of one their star player AB De Villiers.

For a team that ended in the bottom of the table last year, the Kings have done well to record their show. Punjab had a perfect start in this season and the only positive for RCB was De Villiers, who showed what he is capable of and cannot be taken lightly, for a while Kings XI were put on the back foot by a ferocious assault by De Villiers, but his 89 off 46 balls ensure a fighting total for his team and left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who gave just 12 runs in his four over spell.

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Royal Challengers were in trouble right after choosing to bat first. Captain Shane Watson was bowled, when he tried to cut a delivery too close to him, the experiment to open with wicket-keeper batsmen Visnu Vinod backfired, while last match’s star Kedar Jadhav was sent to the pavilion by Varun Aaron’s delivery.

The match was eventually left to De Villiers, who smashed nine sixes, to bring RCB on tracks and ended to a decent total. De Villiers shows what exactly the IPL was missing so far.  

Despite scoring as many as 68 runs off the last four overs, all Bangalore managed was 148 for 4, which is a pretty low score on the board, when the match was against a team that now made its ground fortress.

Kings XI took only 14.3 overs to reach their target, openers Manan Vohara scored 34 off 21 and Hashim Amla, who was unbeaten, 58 off 38 balls, they provided a cracking start by adding 62 in the first six overs of the match. Kings XI skipper Glenn Maxwell continued his blazing form, 43 off 22 balls, to finish the match.

AMandeep