IPL PHOTOS: Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors

Kings XI Punjab produced a clinical bowling performance and equally adept effort with the bat to thrash Pune Warriors India by eight wickets and begin their campaign on a winning note.

It is the first time in any IPL that the Punjab team has won its first match.

Kings XI restricted Pune Warriors to a meagre 99 for nine before notching up the runs with a whopping 46 balls left.

Angelo Mathews' decision to bat first backfired badly as the home team batsman produced another inept show failing to dominate the KXIP bowling even once.

The slide started in the very first over as Manish Pandey (0), who has done nothing in the past two seasons to merit a place in the starting XI, failed yet again as he was played on off the last delivery of Praveen Kumar's first over.

Azhar Mahmood was impressive with the ball again, taking two wickets for 19 runs.

The Pakistan-born palyer first had T Suman (6) caught by Praveen Kumar and returned to rattle Bhuvneshwar Kumar's (8) timber.

Marlon Samuels (3) was run-out as Piyush Chawla's immaculate throw landed on top of the stumps and skipper Adam Gilchrist whipped off the bails as the diving Jamaican failed to make his ground. 

If that wasn't enough, Chawla ended Pune's 'Million Dollar' recruit Robin Uthappa's misery as a faster one castled the Karnataka batsman, who scratched around for 23 balls to make only 19.

At 33 for four, a lot depended on skipper Mathews, who started well with a boundary but got the best delivery of the innings from Parvinder Awana.

Mathews was forced to edge one that had a bit of extra bounce as the ball moved a shade after landing on the good length spot.

At the halfway stage, Warriors were 38 for five any hopes of posting a decent total vanished. 

But there was more misery in store for Warriors as Ross Taylor (15) found out to his amazement. He slog swept a delivery from Praveen and Gurkeerat Mann fielding in the deep fine leg range took a magnificent one handed catch diving to his right.

Mitchell Marsh made an eight-ball 15.

In the process, the young player hit the lone six of the Pune innings, off Praveen Kumar.

Abhishek Nayar top-scored for Pune Warriors with an unbeaten 25.

The left-hander's 26-ball innings was inclusive of three boundaries.

Though he got only one wicket for his effort, rattling Mitchell Marsh's timber in the first ball after the second strategic timeout, Ryan Harris was the best bowler for Punjab.

The Australian bowled four tight overs, conceding just 12 runs.

Adam Gilchrist, the captain, helped his side to a great start with the bat.

The Australian took Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the cleaners in the first over, hitting him for two boundaries and a huge six over deep square leg.

He fell for an 10-ball 15, mistiming an Angelo Mathews ball and hitting it straight to Marlon Samuels.

Manan Vohra began with a flourish, hitting four boundaries in succession in Ashok Dinda's second over, the over cost Pune 21 runs.

The 19-year-old went on to take his side to victory on debut, remaining unbeaten on 43.

Vohra's 28-ball knock was inclusive of seven boundaries. He was named the man-of-the-match for his effort.