Rahul one of best openers I've batted with: Gayle

May 6 (CRICKETNMORE) Heaping praises on his Kings XI Punjab teammate K.L. Rahul, swashbuckling West Indies opener Chris Gayle has said that the Indian batsman was one of the best opening partners he has had in his career.

Rahul hit a brilliant 36-ball 71 as Kings XI defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in their final group stage encounter of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Sunday. 

Chasing 171 for victory, the Punjab-based franchise rode on a blistering 108-run opening stand between Gayle and Rahul to cross the line comfortably with two overs to spare. 

In a chat after the match, Gayle told Rahul, "You're one of the best opening partners I've had. Our communication between the wickets was fantastic."

In reply, Rahul said, "He (Gayle) saw me as a 21-year-old in RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore). I've learned so much from him as an opening batsman. From then to now, he's not said anything different. I've learned so much from him, and we've enjoyed playing together." 

Kings XI Punjab ended their 2019 IPL campaign at the sixth position with 12 points from 14 games. Rahul ended the season as their highest run-getter with 593 runs from 14 games, followed by Gayle who amassed 490 runs from 13 games. The duo shared two hundred-run partnerships.