Kevin Pietersen shows his Twenty20 class

Kevin Pietersen was Vijay Mallya's big-ticket signing last year to transform Royal Challengers Bangalore from a 'Test' team to a dynamic Twenty20 outfit. Things didn't go to plan in the previous season, though, with Bangalore dithering through the initial phase under Pietersen's leadership and the England star didn't make too many runs either.

This season, Bangalore were already near the top of table when he joined after completing his England engagements in Bangladesh. In his first game, he made a quickfire 23 in the limited time he got at the crease, but today, he was pushed up the order an he made the most of his chance.

Bangalore's reliable openers were dismissed cheaply, and it was left to him and young Virat Kohli to keep the team in the hunt for a tall target set by Kings XI Punjab. He went about the job by cutting out the risky shots, and playing sensible down-the-ground strokes, stitching a big partnership with Kohli that ensured Bangalore were never fell too far behind.

There was an effortless flat hit for six over long-off, against the spin of Piyush Chawla, but otherwise the runs generally in singles and twos in his stand with Kohli. He was reprieved a couple of times by the shoddy Punjab fielding - once by Ravi Bopara in the 16th over, and again two overs late by Kumar Sangakkara.

Pietersen was a bystander as Robin Uthappa took apart Brett Lee to push Bangalore towards the win, but made sure that remained unbeaten till the end to help the side snap a two-match losing streak.