Kings XI head into semis with perfect record

WriddhimanSaha

The Indian Premier League outfit came into Sunday's clash in Mohali having won all three of their group fixtures, with progress to the last four of the competition already assured.

And George Bailey's men showed further evidence of their title credentials with a professional performance as they chased down the Cobras' 135 all out to coast home with 11 balls to spare.

After winning the toss, Bailey opted to field and he may have been regretting that decision when the Cobras' opening pair of Richard Levi and Hashim Amla put on 60 for the first wicket.

Amla made 40 from 22 balls before he was ousted by Karanveer Singh (1-23) and the demise of Levi, caught and bowled by Glenn Maxwell (1-17) for 42, signalled a rapid collapse of the Cobras' innings.

When Levi fell, the score was 105-3 at the end of the 13th over, but from that point on Kings XI turned the screw and took the remaining seven wickets for 30 runs.

Anureet Singh (3-12) and Akshar Patel (3-15) did the damage as Cobras lost their last seven batsmen in 33 balls to be skittled out with an over and a half to go.

Kings XI made a solid start to their reply as Manan Vohra and Virender Sehwag made 23 apiece before both were dislodged by Robin Peterson (2-19).

Maxwell also made 23 before he was bowled by Sybrand Engelbrecht (1-42), a dismissal that saw the Australian smash his bat against a rubbish bin in frustration once he got back to the dugout.

It was left to Wriddhiman Saha (42 not out) and David Miller (16 not out) to steer Kings XI to a comfortable victory, with the latter guiding a delivery from Amla to the midwicket fence to put the seal on a dominant performance.

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