MOHALI, India, CMC – All-rounder Dwayne Bravo produced a four-wicket haul to become the first bowler to take 300 Twenty20 career wickets as new side Gujarat Lions trounced Kings XI Punjab by five wickets in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
The right-arm seamer finished with four for 22 from his four overs to restrict Kings XI to 161 for six off their 20 overs, after they were sent in at the PCA Stadium.
Kings XI then cruised to their target with 14 balls remaining in the innings, thanks to a top score of 74 off 47 deliveries from Australian opener Aaron Finch.
Dinesh Karthik struck an unbeaten 41 from 26 balls.
Bravo, who was vital to West Indies’ capture of the Twenty20 World Cup last week, once against proved his quality with the ball as he undermined Kings XI innings.
The hosts got away to a great start thanks to openers Murali Vijay who stroked 42 and Manan Vohra who scored 38, in a 78-run stand.
Left-arm spinner Ravi Jadeja (2-30) claimed both before Bravo went to work on the remainder of the innings.
He bowled Australian Glenn Maxwell for two with a yorker at 101 for three in the 12th over to move to 299 wickets and two balls later, also shattered South African David Miller’s stumps for 15, with a slow yorker which dipped.
In reaching 300 wickets, the 32-year-old Bravo surpassed Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga who sits on 299 wickets.
Marcus Stoinis (33) and Wriddhiman Saha (20) revived the innings with a 55-run, fifth wicket stand before Bravo claimed both in successive deliveries in the final over.