By IANS,
Mohali : Rival captains Adam Gilchrist and Mahendra Singh Dhoni could not help praise Paul Valthaty after he hit a scorching hundred for Kings XI Punjab in their six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match here Wednesday.
Valthaty, a name unheard of before this match, was an instant hero as he smashed 120 runs off 63 balls to record the first hundred of this season.
Kings XI captain Gilchrist described his teammate’s innings as one of the better ones in the IPL and T20 format.
“Paul hit some fantastic shots in the first match but unfortunately got out. He showed some talent in the warm-up games but this was an amazing innings. It was terrific,” said Gilchrist.
“It is certainly one of the better knocks I have seen. I loved standing around and watching Paul go today.”
India and Super Kings captain Dhoni lauded Paul for staying there till the end.
“Paul batted really well. He was at his best, a challenge was thrown at him and he responded well. He went on till the end which is very important. He scored at a brisk pace and calculated the innings well. He calmed himself down and did not leave it for others,” said Dhoni.
“We dropped three catches and our bowlers need to be smart with the ball.”
Paul’s innings helped the Kings XI pick up their first win this season after they were outplayed in their opening match against the Pune Warriors.