After a close eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday, Kings XI Punjab spinner Murugan Ashwin said that the addition of swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle into the side gives a lot of energy to the team. Chasing 172, Rahul scored 61 runs off 49 balls while Gayle smashed a well-made 53 to hand KXIP their second win in the showpiece event. This was Gayle's first game of the season. In the end, KXIP needed two from the last over but Yuzvendra Chahal made an uphill task for the KXIP batsmen as the match came down to 1 run from one ball. Nicholas Pooran whacked a six on the last ball as KXIP took a sigh of relief.

KXIP both wins have come against RCB in the 13th edition of IPL. "It is good to get a win. Chris coming back to the side gives a lot of energy to the team. The mood in the camp was always high even we were losing. We did not lose our spirit, we know that we are playing good cricket and it is just getting over the line. Really happy that we won a game and it is about repeating it game after game," Ashwin said at the post-match press conference. Ashwin, returned with the figures of 2-23 in his four overs, said that the wicket was helping the spinners as it was holding the ball but the bowler has to choose the line and length correctly.