Gayle destroys Punjab with amazing ton

It might not have been in the same league as Brazil’s 7-1 rout at the hands of Germany in the 2014 football World Cup semi-final, but Kings XI Punjab’s 138-run defeat to the Royal Challengers Bangalore added to their already overflowing cup of woes.

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First, the George Bailey-led Punjab saw Chris Gayle and his teammates rack up a season-high 227 batting first on a flat surface at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Then, in reply, they were bowled out for the lowest total of the tournament this year.

It is the second-worst defeat in IPL history.

If Punjab’s campaign in the 2015 IPL seemed to have hit rock bottom before this game, it attained almost depressing levels tonight.

Probably it was to do with the fact they knew they were out of the tournament. Probably it was the Gayle showing that sapped them of whatever little morale was left in them. Or as captain Bailey said in his post-match interview, a case of “almost trying too hard without enjoying it”.

Whatever may be the case, the lack of fight on show during the game was telling and skipper Bailey was left with much to ponder if they have to avoid further embarrassment in their remaining three games.

Read: Coach denies Kings XI's Aussie stars will be de-listed

Mitchell Starc and Sreenath Aravind, playing his first game this season, grabbed four wickets apiece, as Punjab fell to 88 all out in the 14th over of the game. Glenn Maxwell made one, George Bailey scored two and Mitchell Johnson, who had earlier been hit for 43 from his four overs, was sent back for one.

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Mitch Starc again starred with four wickets // BCCI

Since Gayle made 96 in his first IPL game this season, he has had starts and threatened to explode at times but barring an unbeaten 62 against Delhi his scores had read 21, 10, 20, 10 and 21.

It was a different Gayle who walked out to the crease today, a Gayle from the previous seasons. It was a Gayle who was not looking to hit them too hard and yet they were rushing off the face of his bat in a hurry.

By the time he was eventually dismissed in the 17th over, he had smashed his fifth IPL and 14th T20 cricket century of his career. He made 117 from 57 deliveries, hitting seven fours and a massive 12 sixes - a six every five balls!

Apart from Anureet Singh, none of the bowlers were spared.

Sandeep Sharma, who has been Punjab’s best bowler, went for 24 from his 12 balls to Gayle. Glenn Maxwell conceded 15 off eight. Mitchell Johnson’s lean patch continued as he was hit for 32 from his 12. Karanveer Singh would have been happy he bowled just five deliveries at Gayle and conceded 18.

And Axar Patel had to sacrifice 24 from 12 before managing to pick up the wicket of the Jamaican opener.

To Punjab’s credit, they did create a couple of chances, and had they taken them things could have panned out differently.

When on 27, Gayle was dropped by Bailey off a mistimed lofted off-drive, the captain needing to run back from mid-off but spilling what looked to be a straightforward one in the end.

At 53, Gayle’s swipe at Patel went straight to Manan Vohra at deep square-leg. It was a dolly that Vohra put down and the Bangalore opener went on to smash a further 64 runs.

In between all of that, Gayle let it rip at everyone. Johnson went for 20 in the second over of the innings - the most he has ever conceded in a T20 - and the usually economical Sandeep was hit for 24 in the next.

The run-rate slowed marginally, falling slightly below 10 after nine overs but Gayle quickly picked it up with another couple of sixes off Maxwell and Patel.

Virat Kohli’s wicket, after an almost pedestrian 30-ball 32 in comparison, did nothing to slow the frenzy down. Just an over after Kohli's wicket, Gayle sent Karanveer for another couple of sixes before flicking Johnson for a four to bring up his century in the 14th over off just 46 balls.

By the time Gayle was finally dismissed, caught and bowled off Patel, he had smacked another six and seen AB de Villiers hit three in a row off Karanveer.

De Villiers ended unbeaten on 47 from 24.

Punjab’s reply looked like it was from a team that was mentally shot.

Right from the time Punjab lost Vohra to Starc in the first over of the chase, it all went downhill.

Murali Vijay departed in the third, bowled by Harshal Patel, Maxwell’s five-ball innings yielded him just one before he lost his stumps to Sreenath Aravind, and then the same bowler sent back Wriddhiman Saha and David Miller in the sixth to reduce them to 5-34 at the end of the Powerplay.

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Glenn Maxwell bowled without making an impact // BCCI

Punjab didn’t last too long after that, with Bailey falling to the swing of Aravind for two and Starc then returned to clean up the tail and finish with four wickets in his kitty.

Only Patel’s 40 helped Punjab get to 88 and in turn avoid them the ignominy of the biggest defeat in IPL history but a 138-run drubbing provided no consolation to the team.

Punjab now have a couple of days to lick their wounds before taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders while Bangalore play Mumbai on May 10.