The IPL's northernmost franchise found a hero with roots in the south, as Paul Valthaty stunned Chennai Super Kings to clinch a maiden win for Kings XI Punjab this season after a unsatisfactory performance in their opening game. Valthaty was a surprise promotion to the opening slot, instead of the regular Shaun Marsh, and he answered the call with a blazing start, keeping his team on par with the required-rate in the middle overs and rolling again at the death to complete victory after achieving a stunning century.
At 27, with just one List A game and 13 Twenty20 matches, Valthaty had been on the sidelines of the Mumbai team on India's domestic circuit. His previous highest in the IPL was 6, but whatever he must have done at the carry out sessions ahead of this game sparked a potentially career-changing turn of events. Punjab had been deflated at the end of the Chennai innings, after they had wasted the perfect start of two wickets off the first two balls to concede 188. The sight of an new face walking out with Adam Gilchrist raised eyebrows, but it didn't take too long for Valthaty to justify his promotion.
At 27, with just one List A game and 13 Twenty20 matches, Valthaty had been on the sidelines of the Mumbai team on India's domestic circuit. His previous highest in the IPL was 6, but whatever he must have done at the carry out sessions ahead of this game sparked a potentially career-changing turn of events. Punjab had been deflated at the end of the Chennai innings, after they had wasted the perfect start of two wickets off the first two balls to concede 188. The sight of an new face walking out with Adam Gilchrist raised eyebrows, but it didn't take too long for Valthaty to justify his promotion.
| Paul Valthaty | Balls Faced | Runs | Fours | Sixes |
| 63 | 120 | 19 | 2 |
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