CLT20: Kings XI Punjab Aim to Finish Unbeaten in Group Stage
Kings XI Punjab on Friday registered a massive 120-run win against a hapless Northern Knights. In their next match, the George Bailey-led side take on the Cape Cobras, who have just one win from three outings.
They have made the semifinals but Kings XI Punjab will not take things easy when they take on Cape Cobras in a Group B encounter here on Sunday, the team's coach R Sridhar has asserted.
KXIP on Friday registered a massive 120-run win against a hapless Northern Knights. In their next match, the George Bailey-led side take on the Cape Cobras, who have just one win from three outings.
Sridhar told reporters here that the team was not going to lower its guard in any way despite having stormed into the semi-finals. (Highlights)
"Winning is a good habit and we would like to stick to this habit. We would be sticking to our plans, doing our basic stuff and be on top of our game, as far as we are concerned. We would like to go into knockouts with four wins behind to take the confidence," he said. (Mohali Pitch Challenge for Batsmen: Sehwag)
Batting first, Kings XI accumulated 215 runs riding on the back of valiant knocks by Manan Vohra (65), Virender Sehwag (52) and David Miller (40) and then team's young spinners Karanveer Singh and Akshar Patel came good wrecking the Knights.
Kings XI's Sri Lankan import and all-rounder Thisara Perera and Parvinder Awana have also been the pick of the bowling.
KXIP's bowling coach Joe Dawes heaped praise on young players including Parvinder Awana, Manan Vohra and Akshar Patel.
"Awana has been a steady performer," he said.
 About Manan, Dawes said, "this kid is incredible in the making. The job he is doing for us is simply fantastic. Some of the shots he plays are pure class. These young players including Akshar are the rising stars of Indian cricket, which bodes well for the country's cricket, which is fantastic".
Meanwhile, the Northern Knights skipper Daniel Flynn, whose team was bundled out for a paltry 95, said the loss was disappointing.
"I think we showed probably a lack of knowledge, a lack of experience in these conditions out there in the middle," he said after the match.
Praising KXIP, he said, they are a very aggressive team and have a lot of firepower in the batting department.
The skipper said the Knights now need to pick themselves up in the next match as they still have a "mathematical chance" to stay alive.