DC vs KXIP | Player Ratings: Chris Gayle heroic knock in vain as other batsmen fail to step up in Kings XI Punjab’s loss to Delhi Capitals

KL Rahul (3.5/10): The slow nature of the Kotla pitch makes the powerplay overs very crucial for any batting side. KL Rahul wanted to make the most of the field restrictions and decided to exploit Sandeep Lamichhane’s inexperience. Rahul played two brilliant strokes to milk 10 runs off the first two balls but was eventually outfoxed by the bowler on the third delivery. In this game of uncertainties, small phases swing the momentum massively, and Rahul was eyeing to do the same in that over.    

David Miller (2/10): One of the most talented T20 cricketers, David Miller’s hitting is a joy to behold. However, his performance in recent times has been a mixture of brilliance and mediocrity. After a series of low scores, Miller struck some form in the last game but failed to get going tonight. His parched runs column are now raising questions over his spot in the line-up and the axe is certainly looming over ‘Killer-Miller’.

Mandeep Singh (5.5/10): When the going gets tough, the tough gets going! KXIP needed a saviour when the chips were down and the situation was tailor made for someone like Mandeep to make an impression. Mandeep's rescuing attempt fell apart when Axar Patel made deep inroads by getting the better of him at a crucial juncture of the game. Mandeep could have been more sensible and waited till the 19th over before going all guns blazing.

Ravichandran Ashwin (5/10): After the Mankading incident, Ashwin has been the talk of the town, has been a frontrunner in the world of memes, but tonight he led the side with example. When the batting collapsed, Ashwin the batsman came to KXIP’s rescue and ensured his side posted a decent total. While he may have excelled with the bat, he failed to chip in with wickets and was a touch expensive. Further, Dhawan gave a moment to laugh at when Ashwin once again tried to Mankad a batsman this season.  

Murugan Ashwin (7/10): He has been an unsung hero in this KXIP line-up, whose performance often gets overshadowed by other star players. Despite having difficulty in gripping the ball, Murugan Ashwin showed good discipline and didn’t leak too many runs. It was actually surprising to see him not finishing his quota of overs on a surface that was conducive for spin bowling. Did the KXIP skipper missed a trick by not bowling him out?  

Hardus Viljoen (6/10): The South African pacer bagged big wickets but leaked too many runs, which didn’t help the team’s cause. It is evident that Viljoen is putting great efforts, but at the end of the day performance is what matters. Lack of variations and being predictable at times resulted in yet another expensive spell for Viljoen.