Praveen Kumar - 4-0-8-0
KXIP's most experienced domestic bowler did his job exceptionally well with a flawless display with the new ball. I love watching PK bowl, he knows his strengths and is happy to bowl in the mid to high 70s (mph) instead using the threat caused by consistent swing and movement off the pitch as opposed to raw pace. He managed to contain one of the most threatening partnerships in 20/20 cricket in the form of Gayle and Kohli and neither could get him away as near every ball was on a perfect length and moving both ways. Some bowlers are not death bowlers and Kumar is one of them, instead he bowls 4 overs straight through at the start which is a brilliant example of Punjab getting the best out of their players, sometimes I think Pune could do this with Nehra who has proved expensive late on. Going for just 2 an over in the powerplays when bowling at 2 of the best batsmen in the world is a remarkable achievement, that deserved a few wickets.
Azhar Mahmood - 4-0-20-3 & MoM
Mahmood has been the catalyst to Punjab's recent run of form and has single-handedly solved two of their former problems, big hitting at the end and death over bowling. He didn't get much of a chance with the bat today but his bowling was magnificent, rightly awarded MoM as a result. He dismissed two of the big men in Gayle and de Villiers, who have hurt so many other sides this year, and could have had more than just 3 wickets as many were deceived by well disguised slower balls. Experience is vital when bowling death overs and this is so obvious with Mahmood who is usually one step ahead of the batsman, knowing what they're about to try and deciding on his delivery accordingly. Gayle fell in the 16th over and had he stayed in for a few more then RCB would have scored much more than the 158/5 that they managed, another top performance from Punjab's key all-rounder, $200,000 well spent.
Chris Gayle - 71 from 42 balls
Another fine display of power hitting from Gayle, who was on equally good form on the microphone when wired up in the field! His method now revolves around playing himself in for the first 10 overs (reaching 28* from 21) before teeing off in the second half of the innings, completely undeterred by the field dropping back. When he and Kohli (45 from 42 balls) were in full flow a score of 180+ looked on the cards and much of this was down to Gayle's brutal striking, topping his own record with a 6 measuring 111m, although he was convinced it went further! It looked massive as it flew out of the stadium. He is proving extremely consistent, close to impossible in 20/20 batting and this must as a result of his supreme self-belief.
Nitin Saini - 50 from 36
It looks like Punjab may well have found another promising youngster, alongside Mandeep Singh (who was impressive again with 43 from 30), in the form of Nitin Saini. He came in at number 3, up against a buoyant RCB having just got rid of Marsh, and his partnership with Singh was terrific to watch. They both played solidly, combining regular singles and enough boundaries to keep up with the rate, taking on the more experienced Indian bowlers in Zaheer and Vinay Kumar. Saini continued when Singh fell to put together another partnership with his skipper, I remember one very nice cover drive for 4 off the bowling of Vettori. A performance full of promise, playing really sensibly as he managed to keep up a good S/R without taking many risks, which would imply there's plenty more to come from him.
Dave Hussey - 45 from 29 & 2-0-9-0
A good all-round display from Punjab's captain to see his side home in an unlikely win. I was really impressed with the way Hussey took on responsibility himself as he took the ball with Bangalore looking to hit out. His 2 overs cost just 9 runs as he managed to produce those off-spinning yorkers that are so tough to get away, I don't think he's bowled himself enough so far and hopefully that'll change now. His batting was even more impressive as he took the role of aggressor in partnership with Saini. The required rate was hovering at around the 8 an over mark up until the 13th when Hussey attacked Appanna to hit a couple of big straight sixes and a boundary back down the ground, all of a sudden they needed a more comfortable target of a run a ball. This was crucial as Hussey realised his inexperienced middle order may struggle to score boundaries and this made it much easier for his team-mates, despite the late trouble they managed to get themselves in to! A brilliant performance from the captain and his side continue to play above themselves to take down some of the more highly fancied teams.
Andrew McDonald - 4-0-25-2
Yet to nail down a place in the side, seemingly competing with Dilshan for the all-rounder slot, McDonald continues to impress when given the chance. His bowling may look ordinary but its success cannot be doubted at the moment, today bowling wicket to wicket and letting score-board pressure get the opposition into trouble. As in the reverse fixture, McDonald got the big wicket of Marsh as the ball crashed into the top of off stump with the batsmen keen to get the ball away following a few tight deliveries, and later sending back Saini who mishit down the ground for a simple catch. Impressing yet again with his consistent bowling but we'll wait to see whether its enough to hold down a regular spot.
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