In a team with the likes of Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Eoin Morgan and Manan Vohra (Martin Guptill has just joined the party), all big hitters of the ball, who would have thought the genial Hashim Amla would have the best returns
Hashim Amla
Hashim Amla has been in rich form for Kings XI Punjab. Pic/AFP
In a team with the likes of Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Eoin Morgan and Manan Vohra (Martin Guptill has just joined the party), all big hitters of the ball, who would have thought the genial Hashim Amla would have the best returns.
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But that’s the kind of season it has been, what with Amla topping the charts for Kings XI Punjab, even as the bigger guns from Royal Challengers Bangalore, who host Punjab tonight, too have failed to get going. "He is a world class player and a legend. He is so chilled out," said Guptill.
That Amla is. Even when he got his maiden IPL ton (vs Mumbai Indians on April 20), he treated it like any other knock. An average of 63 from the eight matches thus far is almost double his normal T20 average of 33.38. He’s also striking the ball at 140 as against his 127 from 115 T20 games. And this he does without taking things too seriously, is what Guptill would have us believe. "He doesn’t take anything much too seriously. He has a very calm presence about him and that sort of rubs off on to you when you are in the middle," said Guptill.
With everything to play for, unlike RCB who are out of the tournament as far as the play offs are concerned, Kings XI would look at Amla continuing his rich form.
Punjab have five matches to go, with a potential 10 points up for grabs.