West Indian 'superman' Chris Gayle threatened to run away with the game, but Rajasthan Royals bowlers pulled things back in the last five overs to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 184/4 in 20 overs, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Gayle was slow to start off the blocks—he made just 29 runs in first 27 balls—but he made it up by blasting a 47-ball 79 with eight fours and four sixes. Though his dismissal in the 16th over slowed down the momentum, Sarfaraz Khan (46 off 29 balls) ensured Punjab set a challenging target.
Rajasthan skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bowl on a two-paced pitch. Punjab had a bad start as Gayle's fellow opener K.L. Rahul lasted just four balls before edging an outgoing Dhawal Kulkarni delivery to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, who took a brilliant one-handed catch.
Gayle and Mayank Agarwal (22) then struggled to hit big shots against Kings XI Punjab's disciplined bowling as they could score just 32 runs in the Powerplay overs.
The duo finally broke their shackles, hitting Jaydev Unadkat for a four and six to pick 13 runs in the bowler's opening over.
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Gayle then opened up his arms again and hit Krishnappa Gowtham for a maximum in the first ball of the ninth over.
But Gowtham broke the 54-run stand between Gayle and Agarwal after the latter was holed out a long-off by Kulkarni.
Brought back into the attack in the 12th over, Unadkat was taken to the cleaners by Gayle as he hit the left-arm pacer for three consecutive fours and then a straight six over the bowler's head to bring up his fifty in 33 balls.
Unadkat's second over, that produced 17 runs, opened the floodgates for Kings XI Punjab as Sarfaraz, too, joined the party and together with Gayle punished the bad deliveries. After playing cautiously initially, Gayle went on a rampage, stood on his crease and clobbered Ben Stokes (2/48) for two boundaries and six before being holed out at midwicket fence by Rahul Tripathi in the fifth ball of the same over.
Gayle and Sarfaraz added 84 runs for the third wicket and in the process gave Kings XI Punjab the much-needed momentum.
After Gayle's dismissal, Sarfaraz took the onus on himself and took Kings XI Punjab past the 180-run mark.
(With PTI inputs)
