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April 13, 2024
A disciplined bowling performance, along with an outstanding finish of 27*(10) from Shimron Hetmyer, led Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a thrilling last-over victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 27 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2024 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
RR vs PBKS saw a collective bowling effort that restricted PBKS to 147/8 after they opted to field first. PBKS fought hard with their own impressive bowling, bringing the target down to 10 runs needed off the final over. Hetmyer kept his composure, smashing a couple of sixes off Arshdeep to secure RR’s fifth win.
In the chase for 148, RR started steadily, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal, who played as an Impact Player, and Tanush Kotian putting together a solid 43/0 during the Powerplay. They reached a 50-run partnership off 47 balls, but frustration mounted as boundaries became hard to come by. This pressure resulted in Kotian’s wicket, as he attempted a big hit off Livingstone but missed and was bowled. By the halfway mark, RR stood at 66/1 in the RR vs PBKS match, with the run rate slowing down.
Captain Sanju Samson broke the shackles in the RR vs PBKS match, launching a six and a four off Livingstone to score 13 runs in that over. In the following over, Curran brought back Rabada, and the decision paid off as he dismissed the set Jaiswal, who scored 39 off 28 balls. Rabada continued to make an impact, claiming the crucial wicket of Samson and trapping him LBW with a slower delivery. He finished his spell with impressive figures of 4-0-18-2.
As the required run rate climbed, PBKS had a chance to dismiss Riyan Parag two overs later, but Livingstone dropped a challenging catch at long-on. Curran then narrowly missed a leading edge off his own bowling. With 43 runs needed off 24 balls, Parag went on the offensive, top-edging a six over the keeper’s head off Arshdeep and scoring a couple more off an inside edge to fine leg. However, Arshdeep eventually got his man as Parag miscued a pull to deep mid-wicket, where Rabada took a good catch. In a tense moment of the RR vs PBKS game, Arshdeep almost secured a second wicket in the over when Dhruv Jurel was given out and caught behind. Still, Jurel immediately reviewed the decision, revealing that the ball had hit his thigh pad.
With 34 runs needed off 18 balls in the RR vs PBKS match, Harshal dismissed Jurel on the second ball of the over, thanks to a fantastic running catch from Shashank Singh. However, Hetmyer created mixed emotions for Harshal by smashing a four and a six off the last two balls, reducing the target to 20 runs needed off 12 balls.
Rovman Powell started the penultimate over brilliantly, hitting two fours off the first two deliveries from Curran. Yet, a twist came when Curran bounced out Powell on the next ball. After two singles, Curran dismissed Keshav Maharaj, who was caught for a long time.
Entering the last over with 10 runs needed, Arshdeep delivered two brilliant yorkers, resulting in two dot balls against Hetmyer. The RR batter responded fiercely, launching a flat six to long on, cutting the equation to 4 runs needed off 3 balls. Hetmyer thumped the next delivery long on, where Curran fumbled, allowing the batters to scamper back for two runs. With 2 runs needed off 2 balls, Hetmyer swung a full toss over the extended leg fence for a six, clinching the victory for RR. He finished unbeaten on 27 off 10 balls, leading RR to triumph in a tightly-fought contest against PBKS.
Earlier in the RR vs PBKS match, Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson won the toss and chose to field first. RR started strong, limiting the home side to 38/1 during the Powerplay. Openers Atharva Taide and Jonny Bairstow had added 27 runs before Avesh claimed RR’s first breakthrough by dismissing Taide, who top-edged his pull in the fourth over. Taide had looked good with a couple of crisp fours through the off side in the second over but couldn’t capitalize on his promising start, leading to challenges for the home team.
As the runs dried up and the pressure mounted, Prabhsimran Singh fell victim to Yuzvendra Chahal in the seventh over, mistiming a big shot to deep mid-wicket, where Dhruv Jurel made a good running catch. Keshav Maharaj followed up in the next over, having Jonny Bairstow caught at extra cover, further swinging the momentum in favor of RR in this exciting RR vs PBKS encounter.
RR were rewarded for their discipline and accuracy when Maharaj claimed his second wicket in his second over, dismissing Sam Curran, who was caught at deep mid-wicket. Punjab Kings struggled to reach 53/4 at the halfway mark.
After five overs without a boundary, Jitesh Sharma finally hit a four, crashing one to long off Maharaj. Shashank Singh followed suit with another boundary, sending one over extra cover in the same over. However, Samson brought back Sen, who struck immediately as Shashank mistimed his pull to deep mid-wicket. Sen nearly had two wickets in two balls, inducing an outside edge from Liam Livingstone on his first ball, but Samson couldn’t hold on to a tough diving catch.
A couple of tight overs followed until Sharma broke free, smashing two sixes—one-off Chahal and another off Sen. Livingstone also increased his scoring, hitting a four and a six off Sen, as the duo racked up 17 runs in that over, shifting the momentum in the RR vs. PBKS match.
Just as it seemed PBKS was gaining momentum, Avesh returned to unsettle the home side again, dismissing Jitesh Sharma (29 off 24), who was caught at mid-off. PBKS then introduced Ashutosh Sharma as their Impact Player, replacing Prabhsimran Singh. However, wickets continued to tumble. Samson executed a brilliant Dhoni-esque run-out to send Livingstone back, flicking a wide throw onto the stumps, leaving Livingstone short upon review.
RR could have had another wicket just three balls later, but Samson dropped Ashutosh after a mix-up with Avesh. At the same time, both went for a high catch off Ashutosh’s miscue. Ashutosh made RR pay for the mistake, smashing a couple of sixes and a four before departing on the last ball of the innings, helping PBKS post 147/8. He contributed a vital 31 off 16 balls, providing a late surge while PBKS struggled to find rhythm throughout their innings.
In response, RR brought in Yashasvi Jaiswal as their Impact Player, replacing Kuldeep Sen. All-rounder Tanush Kotian, who was sent to open the batting alongside Jaiswal in this exciting RR vs PBKS match.
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