IPL 9, Match 3: KXIP v GL - 5 Talking Points

The Gujarat Lions marked their IPL debut with a magnificent win over the Kings XI Punjab. The hard-fought 5-five wicket win sees the Gujarat Lions join the Rising Pune Supergiants atop the IPL table. Aaron Finch and Dwayne Bravo starred in the much-anticipated win as everything seemingly came right for the Suresh Raina led IPL franchise. However, as far as the Kings XI were concerned, it was quintessentially a continuation of the barren slump for the Glenn Maxwell as David Miller failed to lead the side to a win in his first game as captain. While the fact that India U19 skipper Ishan Kishan made his IPL debut, there were multiple talking points right through the match. Here are five of the most prominent of those talking points.

1. Murali Vijay gets KXIP off to a flier:

Murali Vijay is not someone you would usually associate with T20 cricket. However, the 32-year old opener quashed most of his critics with a free-flowing innings. Each time the ball left his bat, it would either race to the fence or put a fielder in trouble of hurting his hand. A six of Pradeep Sagwan got him going as he was unstoppable from there on. He slammed five boundaries in quick succession as he not only raced to a healthy score of 42 but also laid the launching pad for the Kings XI innings. He was well supported at the other end by Manan Vohra who smashed a fighting 38. They had stitched a partnership worth 78 off just 43 deliveries.

2. Marcus Stoinis shines on IPL debut:

Along with Ishan Kishan, Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis too made his much awaited debut. A minor collapse in the middle order saw Stoinis walk out to bat with barely a few over left in the innings. Despite not playing the most elegant of shots, Stoinis slammed, crashed, hoicked and slapped his way to a quickfire 33. He took just 22 deliveries to get there. He was eventually dismissed by the irresistible Dwayne Bravo in the final over of the match. However, despite his prowess with the bat, Stoinis proved too expensive with the ball, conceding 27 runs in the 2 overs bowled.

3. Dwayne Bravo at it again:

Dwayne Bravo is somewhat of an enigma. He doesn’t play the game of cricket like everyone else. He plays it to entertain the 40,000 odd who turn up for each and every match. This time around, his sleek dancing moves translated to his impressive effort with the ball. Let’s face it, Bravo is one of the best bowlers in the death in the world. He was as much a part of the West Indies team as Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, and Carlos Brathwaite. He mixed up his deliveries wonderfully. It was simply magical to watch him own the wicket as well as he did. His figures of 4/22 is suitable evidence to support the aformentioned statement.

4. Aaron Finch underlines T20 credentials:

Aaron Finch is one of the best T20 batsmen in the world. Period. Despite being dethroned by Virat Kohli in the World Rankings, Finch sizzled in the Gujarat Lions colors with an impressive half-century. Despite losing the wickets of Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina, an undeterred Aaron Finch went about his business of smashing the half-century. His compilation of 74 saw him whack 12 boundaries as he did. The Gujarat Lions will be hoping that Finch continues his fantastic form as encounters against mightier oppositions beckon.

5. Dinesh Karthik secured victory:

Despite reaching the total in just 17 odd overs, it wasn’t easy going for the Gujarat Lions. Dinesh Karthik, the former Indian custodian is the man they must thank profusely for taking them home, especially with heaps of wickets falling around him. During his stay at the crease, Aaron Finch, Ishan Kishan and Ravindra Jadeja lost their wickets. However, Karthik slammed 41 off just 26 deliveries ensuring that the Lions reached the total with 5 wickets to spare.

How did Twitter react during the match? – Twitter Reactions: Gujarat Lions roar their way to a debut win