JAIPUR, India, CMC – Trinidadian all-rounder Kovin Cooper starred with the ball to help fire Rajasthan Royals to a convincing 31-run victory over Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League here Friday.
The right-arm seamer snared four for 26 from his four allotted overs as Kings XI, chasing 192 for victory, were restricted to 160 for nine from their 20 overs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
With Kings XI setting up their run chase nicely at 55 for two in the eighth over, Cooper removed Australian Shaun Marsh (7) and Abhishek Nayar (10) in the space of five balls to turn the match on its head.
Only Mandeep Singh with 34 off 25 balls showed any enterprise thereafter.
Earlier, Cooper faced just three balls and smashed a six and a four to end on 11 not out as the Royals finished on 191 for four after being sent in.
Opener Ajinkya Rahane stroked 98 from 66 balls.
In the other game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Marlon Samuels’ Pune Warriors defeated Kieron Pollard’s Mumbai Indians by 28 runs.
Samuels, missing West Indies’ three-Test series against Australia because of his IPL commitments, made just four as Pune Warriors tallied 129 for nine off 20 overs with Pollard taking one for 31.
Mumbai were then surprisingly held to 101 for nine, with Pollard falling for eight and Samuels taking one for 21 from a stingy four-over spell.
