IPL 2018: Talking points from Punjab's victory over Delhi
Kings XI Punjab kicked off their IPL 11 campaign on a winning note thrashing Delhi Daredevils by 6 wickets at home. Opener KL Rahul sent the crowd into a frenzy as the 25-year-old smashed a 14-ball fifty to secure the victory for the home side. Here are the top talking points from this fixture.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman makes a stunning debut
17-year-old Afghan newbie Mujeeb Ur Rahman is the talk of the town after a stunning debut against the Delhi Daredevils. The spinner impressed everybody after Ashwin asked him to bowl in the powerplay overs of the innings. He not only derailed Delhi Daredevils' innings by dismissing the dangerous Colin Munro and Rishabh Pant, but he also ran out Delhi captain Gambhir.
Kings XI Punjab do not need Chris Gayle
It may come as a shocker that T20 cricket's most fierce batsman Gayle was not a part of Kings playing XI. Punjab opted for Mujeeb ahead of Gayle and the gamble perfectly paid off. KL Rahul too made up for Gayle's big hitting ability. Judging by Rahul's form, Gayle is likely to be out of this line up for quite a while.
Contrasting tale of two 36-year-old players
Gambhir was the lone hero for Delhi, as he scored a brilliant half-century to guide them to 166/7. This was Gambhir's 36th IPL fifty equalling Warner's record for most 50s in the league. On the other hand, Yuvraj Singh had a nightmare on the field. Yuvi managed 12 runs off 22 balls, signalling that he could be heading towards the twilight of his career.
