KXIP v/s Deccan Chargers match 50

Kings XI Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh backed himself at a decisive moment in the match, claimed a hat-trick, kept his cool under pressure in the death over to stop Rohit Sharma from pinching a second fairytale victory in two days in the DLF Indian Premier League here on Sunday.

Yuvraj Singh’s second hat-trick of the tournament, straddling two overs, saw him claim the wickets of Herscelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds and Venugopal Rao to star in his team’s successful defence of their below-par score of 134 for seven in 20 overs. Of course, Irfan Pathan emerged hero too by bowling Rohit Sharma with a slower one in the final over.

The result allowed Kings XI Punjab stay in the hunt for a semifinal place with 14 points from 13 matches, the same as Deccan Chargers. Kings XI Punjab have a game on hand against Chennai Super Kings (May 20) while Deccan Chargers’s final game will be against Royal Challengers Bangalore (May 21).

Rohit Sharma made 42 off 26 balls (three fours and three sixes) to pull Deccan Chargers back in the game after Romesh Powar’s double strike in the fifth over and Yuvraj Singh’s hat-trick spread over the 12th and 14th overs allowed Kings XI Punjab to breathe easy. But an expensive 18th over by Wilkin Mota – 18 runs – saw the game swing back in Deccan Chargers’ favour.

Deccan Chargers, who had lost seven wickets in a heap and the match against Delhi Daredevils, went through the same emotions again. Needing to get three off the final ball to tie the scores, Ryan Harris struck Irfan Pathan to sweeper cover and settled to take two and had his back to the teenager Jaskaran Singh who was sprinting down the track for the third run.

Earlier, a workmanlike 56 by the never say die Kumar Sangakkara helped Kings XI Punjab make 134.The next highest score was 20 by Yuvraj Singh and Kings XI Punjab was left to pray that its bowlers and fielders would pull the rabbit out of the hat one more time.