IPL: Rajasthan Royals beat King’s XI Punjab by 7 wickets

King’s XI Punjab were beaten by Rajasthan Royals on Friday in the race for Indian Premier League playoff places.

King’s XI Punjab remain fourth in the eight-team table but must now beat Chennai Super Kings on Sunday to make sure of staying in the top four who qualify for the playoffs.

Steve Smith’s Rajasthan Royals moved up to fifth, still with a chance of going through having been bottom of the table just a few days earlier, AFP reported

Chris Gayle of King’s XI Punjab went past 1,000 T20 sixes on Friday but missed another of his trademark quick fire centuries by one run.

King’s XI made 185-4 with the tournament’s leading run-hitter K. L. Rahul contributing another 46.

The 41-year-old Gayle hit 99 off 63 balls with another eight sixes taking his overall Twenty20 total to 1,001.

Ben Stokes (50) and Sanju Samson (48) guided Rajasthan Royals to 186-3 with more than two overs to spare.

Stokes bagged the man of the match award.

Missing out on his seventh IPL ton and seeing King’s XI’s winning streak end after five matches was a double blow for Gayle.

King’s XI captain Rahul rued being put in to bat first and then bowl with the evening dew when their bowlers had no control.

“It was a horrible toss to lose,” he said in the AFP report.  “It did get very easy to bat later on.”

Stokes took full advantage of the Punjab bowlers’ handicap making his half century off 26 balls with nine boundaries.