Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals by 41 runs in the last league match of the Indian Premier League at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.
The win, Punjab's 10th in 14 matches, had no effect whatsoever on the league standings though. Rajasthan, despite suffering what was their third loss in 14 matches, finished on top of the table with 22 points, two ahead of second-placed Punjab.
Chasing 222 to win, and with Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar being rested, Rajasthan got off to a terrible start losing Mohammad Kaif (1) and Younis Khan (3) inside five overs.
Niraj Patel (57) and Shane Watson (22) put on 49 runs for the third wicket before the former, who was again impressive in his 39-ball knock that contained 10 boundaries, was cleaned up by Piyush Chawla.
Watson also fell to Chawla, while trying to accelerate, but thereafter Yusuf Pathan (39) and Kamran Akmal (24) treated the crowd with some exquisite hitting.
The brief stand (33 runs) ended when Akmal, whose eight-ball knock included a four and three huge sixes off Sreesanth, became Chawla's third victim.
Rajasthan needed 61 runs off the final three overs, and that, proved to be a tough task, much tougher than their initial target.
Yusuf Pathan's 15-ball knock, that contained three hits to the fence and three huge ones over it, was brilliantly caught by Shaun Marsh off James Hopes in the penultimate over. Hopes also caught Dinesh Salunkhe (6) off his own bowling in the same over.
Rajasthan needed 44 off the last over from Irfan. And they got just two.
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