With all eight sides in the IPL 7 having just two games left in the regular season qualifying competition, the Kings XI Punjab, continue to lead the race at the top of the table.
With their impressive overall run rate, it would take an extremely unlikely set of results, including two heavy defeats for the Kings XI themselves, to deny them one of the important top two spots, as they hold a four point advantage over the Royals and Knight Riders who are in third and fourth position respectively.
Friday will see the Kings XI host the Royals at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, knowing that a win or a relatively narrow defeat, will see them secure a top two place on the table.
Punjab suffered just their third defeat of the season on Wednesday against the Mumbai Indians, who were fighting desperately for a victory that would keep alive their hopes of defending their title.
Mumbai may have given the other sides hope of stopping the Kings XI from taking this season’s title, with their ability to combat the powerful batting line up of the men from the Punjab, restricting them to just 156 for 8.
Kings XI got a blistering start to their innings, provided by Virender Sehwag, who suffered a freak run out after 23 runs were posted off of the first two overs. The momentum was continued by, Manan Vohra and Shaun Marsh until the 10th over.
However, the innings was largely kept in check after that point, with Glenn Maxwell falling to a leg-spinner for the fifth successive innings.
The absence of South African David Miller certainly affected the Kings XI game plan, and they may have to wake up to the reality that they can not always blast the opposition bowlers into submission, and there are occasions when they have to graft their way to a winning total.