IPL 2017 KXIP vs KKR: Glenn Maxwell Shines To Keep Punjab’s Dreams Alive

IPL 2017 KXIP vs KKR: Chris Lynn’s 84 Failed To Save The Knights

IPL 2017 has turned out to be one of the most unpredictable editions of Indian Premier League as a team that ended its previous campaign as one of the bottom two now stands strong at the top three and a team that was nowhere near the qualifying stages, will live to fight for another day.

IPL 2017 KXIP vs KKR was one such clash where the visitors were expected to come out as a winner and Punjab was on the verge of ending another year without even having a chance at the playoffs. But what we witnessed was a team that rose from the graves and gave one of the potential IPL 2017 a beaten of a lifetime.

Kolkata Knight Riders opted to bowl first and Glenn Maxwell’s army had a task of registering a defendable total on a pitch that offers assistance to both bowlers and batsmen. Runs started pouring in from the start as Martin Guptill (12) and Manan Vohra (25) gave a steady start to their team’s innings. But it was the partnership between Wriddhiman Saha (38 off 33) and Glenn Maxwell (44 off 25) that added those match winning runs to the total of 167 runs.

Glenn Maxwell was playing in his prime and hit four huge sixes as well as a field piercing boundary during his knock of 44 runs. This was definitely the most important stand for KXIP and their IPL 2017 play-off dreams and the skipper managed to do so in a miraculous fashion.

Watch Maxwell’s Masterstrokes Here:

Then came the turn of Kolkata Knight Riders with the blades and although the target of 168 runs is never a walk in a park, expectations were really high from the No. 2 team in IPL 2017 standings. But what we got was an almost KXIP dominated session.

Sunil Narine (18 off 10) went back early, making way for Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn to ride their team home. However, we got to see a rare sight of a test match innings in T20 cricket from Gambhir as he made just 8 runs off 18 balls, pressuring Lynn on the other side. Even Robin Uthappa, who is going through one of his best IPL seasons, went for a duck which made matters worse for KKR.

On the brighter side, Chris Lynn managed to stay strong and lead KKR single-handedly before collapsing in the 18th over after registering a marvelous 84-runs stand, off just 52 balls.

Chris Lynn’s dismissal was also the turning point of the match and the credit goes to Axar Patel’s throw that put an end to a ball bashing spree. Patel also sent Robin Uthappa back to the pavilion through his outside the line heroics. Let’s see both the dismissal one by one.

Stopping the unstoppable

Uthappa’s Jaw Dropping Dismissal

As for Kings XI Punjab, they now have to face Mumbai Indians as well as Rising Pune Supergiants, and a victory on both these clashes will suffice of KXIP wants to enter the IPL 2017 play-offs, which they might manage to accomplish.