Dubai: Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) made an incredible comeback at the death, taking five wickets in the final two overs to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 12 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Saturday.
Chasing a modest 127-run target, SRH batsmen committed 'harakiri' after a solid 56-run opening stand between skipper David Warner (35) and Jonny Bairstow (19) to be all out for 114 in 19.5 overs.
The win, their fourth on the trot, kept KXIP in the fray for play-offs as they jumped to fifth spot in the eight-team standings with 10 points from 11 games.
The defeat made life difficult for SRH even though they are mathematically still in with a chance of making the play-offs, but for that to happen they will need to win their remaining three games with good net run rate.
SRH made a brisk start to their chase with skipper Warner and Bairstow adding 56 runs for the opening stand in 6.2 overs before KXIP bowlers inflicted three quick blows to make a return to the contest.
Both Warner and Bairstow perished in quick succession before Abdul Samad (7) too failed to rise to the occasion.
After the three quick blows, the going became tough for SRH as KXIP bowlers used the slow conditions to perfection to take the match deep.
SRH's last-match heroes, Manish Pandey (15) and Vijay Shankar (26) looked in good nick but both the players struggled to up the ante and departed in the process.
From thereon, SRH batsmen made heavy weather of the chase as KXIP bowlers reduced the equation to 17 runs off the last two overs.
Bowling the penultimate over, Chris Jordan (3/17) dismissed Jason Holder and Rashid Khan off successive deliveries to tilt the match in KXIP's favour.
With 14 runs needed from the last over, Arshdeep Singh (3/23) dismissed Priyam Garg and Sandeep Sharma, and Khaleel Ahmed was run out as KXIP recorded a memorable victory.
Earlier, SRH bowlers produced a clinical performance to restrict Kings XI Punjab to a modest 126/7.
SRH bowlers responded impressively to Warner's decision to field first, picking up wickets at regular intervals to control the innings.
KXIP skipper K L Rahul (27), Mandeep Singh (17) and Chris Gayle (20) all got starts but their innings never got going as they failed to grab the momentum.
SRH perfectly planned Gayle's dismissal who came at one down. They kept the big-hitting batsman quiet for a long time, consistently bowling wide of the off stump and in the process frustrated him.
Gayle repeatedly tried to force his way out of the shackles but was dismissed by his West Indian teammate Jason Holder (2/27), caught at long-off by Warner with a wide of the stumps delivery in the 10th over.
Rashid Khan (2/14) then went through the defence of captain Rahul in the first ball off the next over as KXIP slumped to 66/3.
Glenn Maxwell's (12) struggles with the bat continued as he too departed soon, picking out Warner at long-on off Sandeep Sharma (2/29) before Deepak Hooda was stumped by Bairstow off Rashid.
Boundaries and sixes were hard to come by and KXIP batsmen's struggle can be gauged from the fact they failed to find the fence for more than 11 overs, which was finally broken by Nicholas Pooran in the 19th over.
Pooran ended being the top-scorer, making an unbeaten 32 off 28 balls.
