IPL PHOTOS: Clinical Punjab consign Rajasthan to sixth defeat

Kings XI Punjab defeated Rajasthan Royals by 16 runs in their Indian Premier League match in Mohali.

Sent into bat, Kings XI Punjab scored 179-4, and then restricted Rajasthan Royals to 163-8. The result, Punjab's 10th win in 13 matches, consolidated their position at the top of the table. 

- Scorecard

Meanwhile, Rajasthan's sixth defeat kept the door open for Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

Earlier, Rajasthan won the toss and invited Punjab to bat. The latter rested Glenn Maxwell with David Miller and Lakshmipathy Balaji back in the XI while leg-spinner Karanveer Singh is making his IPL debut.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan made four changes with Pravin Tambe, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tewatia and Vikramjeet Malik included in the playing XI. 

Teams: 

Kings XI Punjab: George Bailey (captain), Virender Sehwag, Shaun Marsh, Manan Vohra, Wriddhiman Saha, David Miller, Akshar Patel, Beuran Hendricks, Rishi Dhawan, Karanveer Singh, Lakshmipathy Balaji

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Watson (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Kevon Cooper, Brad Hodge, James Faulkner, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Tewatia, Vikramjeet Malik

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Shaun Marsh top-scored with 40, which included five hits to the fence. 

Kings XI Punjab were off to a brisk start with Virender Sehwag (18) dealing in boundaries, but the opener got out just when he was threatening to notch up a big score. He was caught by Vikramjeet Malik off the bowling of James Faulkner.

Manan Vohra (25) too kept the scoreboard ticking before Stuart Binny ran the batsman out. After Punjab lost their second wicket with the score reading 54 in the seventh over, a 59-run partnership ensued between Shaun Marsh and Wriddhiman Saha. 

Marsh played some good shots during his 35-ball knock and completed 4000 runs in all forms of T20 cricket. The Australian struck five fours and one six, before he was done in by a slower ball from Vikramjeet Malik.

He was awarded the man of the match for his effort.

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There was a brief interruption due to rain and after play resumed Punjab lost Saha (27), out to a well judged catch by Ajinkya Rahane in the deep off the bowling of Rahul Tewatia.

The in-form David Miller and skipper George Bailey remaining not outs on 29 and 26 respectively, upping the ante in the final three overs. 

Miller and Bailey got together and hit three towering sixes and a four between them to prop up the innings, their unbroken partnership for the fifth wicket yielding Punjab 60 runs.

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Chasing a stiff target, Rajasthan Royals lost Karun Nair (11) with just 21 runs on the board and kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Akshar Patel was the pick of the Punjab bowlers, with figures of three for 24. 

Rishi Dhawan and Karanveer Singh picked up two wickets apiece, the former in successive deliveries. 

Needing 31 in the last over, James Faulkner (35 off 13) smashed two sixes to make it a little interesting, but the asking rate proved to be too much for RR in the end.